Carotenoid replacement in Drosophila: freeze-fracture electron microscopy

Because of the consequent lack of photopigment chromophore, carotenoid/ retinoid (vitamin A) deprivation during the larval period of Drosophila leads to decreased rhodopsin in adult photoreceptors. Decreased density of P-face particles in photoreceptor membrane (rhabdomeric microvilli) is a prominent ultrastructural feature of this rhodopsin deficiency. When adults are fed carotenoid, the rhabdomeric P-face particle density-which reflects the concentration of rhodopsin-increases halfway to the replete control level during the first 12 hours, and is fully restored by 2 days. Based on freeze-fracture replicas, there is a continuity of membrane between rhabdomeric microvilli and the parent retinula cell. That confluence is relevant to turnover of photoreceptive membrane. Microvillar and retinula cell P-face particle densities covary. The relevance of the demonstration of rapid recovery from chromophore depletion is discussed in relation to hypotheses that the chromophore and/or related retinoids regulate opsin gene transcription, and/or post-translational processing and deployment from the endoplasmic reticulum to the rhabdomere.