Short wavelength-sensitive opsins from the Saharan silver and carpenter ants
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Updated: Oct 28, 2026

Determination of Photoreceptor Cell Spectral Sensitivity in an Insect Model from In Vivo Intracellular Recordings
Published on: February 26, 2016
W C Smith1, D M Ayers, M P Popp
1Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610, USA. csmith@eye1.eye.ufl.edu
Abstract:
We have previously cloned the opsins coding for the long-wavelength visual pigments from the Saharan silver ant and carpenter ant. Here we report two new cDNA clones isolated from cDNA libraries which also code for opsin proteins. These cDNAs code for deduced proteins with 369 amino acids which are 91% identical to each other, but only 38% identical to the previously cloned opsins. Phyletic comparisons suggest that these opsins are likely the ultraviolet sensitive visual pigments, a conclusion that is supported by the presence of a phenylalanine at the counterion position in the third transmembrane segment.
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