Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Vision in microalgae

P Hegemann1

  • 1Institut für Biochemie 1, Regensburg, Germany.

Planta
|January 1, 1997
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Flagellated algae use simple eyespots with rhodopsin to sense light, enabling phototaxis and phobic responses through calcium ion influx and flagellar movement. This research explores the fundamental visual system in single-celled organisms.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Conversion of a light-driven proton pump into a light-gated ion channel.

Scientific reports·2015
Same author

Erratum: Synthetic retinal analogs modify the spectral and kinetic characteristics of microbial rhodopsin optogenetic tools.

Nature communications·2015
Same author

Synthetic retinal analogues modify the spectral and kinetic characteristics of microbial rhodopsin optogenetic tools.

Nature communications·2014
Same author

The chromoprotein of halorhodopsin is the light-driven electrogenic chloride pump in halobacterium halobiumt.

Biochemistry·2014
Same author

Photophysical characterisation and photo-cycle dynamics of LOV1-His domain of phototropin from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with roseoflavin monophosphate cofactor.

Journal of photochemistry and photobiology. B, Biology·2010
Same author

Absorption and emission spectroscopic characterization of BLUF protein Slr1694 from Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 with roseoflavin cofactor.

Journal of photochemistry and photobiology. B, Biology·2009
Same journal

Somatic embryogenesis-induced epigenetic changes promoting catechin accumulation in Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.

Planta·2026
Same journal

Integrative transcriptome and long non-coding RNA analysis to decipher the molecular basis of cleistogamy in pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L) Millsp).

Planta·2026
Same journal

RDO3 REPRESSOR 27, a new MED25 allele, regulates seed dormancy dependent on DOG1 and ABA pathways in Arabidopsis.

Planta·2026
Same journal

Development of subtropically-adapted indeterminate gametophyte1 (ig1) gene-based paternal haploid inducer lines in maize through molecular breeding.

Planta·2026
Same journal

Comparative plastome analysis reveals structural variation, selection, and phylogenetic relationships in Verbascum species.

Planta·2026
Same journal

Comparative chloroplast genomics of Verbenaceae: structural divergence, adaptive evolution, and phylogenomic insights.

Planta·2026
See all related articles

Area of Science:

  • * Cellular Biology
  • * Photobiology
  • * Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • * Flagellate green algae possess the simplest visual systems in nature, functioning as eyespots.
  • * These eyespots contain photoreceptors, optics, and signal transduction components, with rhodopsin acting as the primary photoreceptor, similar to animal vision.
  • * Light stimulation triggers a cascade involving retinal isomerization, calcium ion influx, and flagellar responses for phototaxis and phobic reactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying photoreception and signal transduction in flagellated algae.
  • * To identify and characterize proteins involved in the algal visual system.
  • * To provide insights into the evolutionary development of visual systems from single-celled organisms to complex animals.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Methods:

  • * Isolation and cloning of opsins from Chlamydomonas and Volvox.
  • * Identification of signaling proteins using insertional mutagenesis.
  • * Analysis of protein interactions within the photoreceptor complex and flagellar channels.

Main Results:

  • * Plant opsins in algae are highly charged and differ from typical seven-helix receptors, potentially forming complexes with photoreceptor channels.
  • * A G-protein interacting with rhodopsin or the rhodopsin-ion channel complex was identified in Spermatozopsis.
  • * A gene crucial for flagellar action potential and signaling was identified via insertional mutagenesis.

Conclusions:

  • * The study elucidates key molecular components of the algal visual system, including novel opsin structures and signaling proteins.
  • * Calcium ion fluxes are confirmed as central to phototaxis and phobic responses in these organisms.
  • * Understanding algal photoreception offers fundamental insights into the evolution of vision across diverse life forms.