Reflector of the body photophore in lanternfish is mechanistically tuned to project the biochemical emission in photocytes for counterillumination.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun
; 521(4): 821-826, 2020 01 22.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31706576
ABSTRACT
Lanternfish, a family Myctophidae, use ventro-lateral body photophores for camouflage of the ventral silhouette, a strategy called counterillumination. While other deep-sea fishes possess pigmented filters and silver reflectors to match sunlight filtering down through the depths, myctophids developed a blue-green reflector for this purpose. In this study, we showed in a lanternfish Diaphus watasei that the reflector comprised monolayered iridophores containing multilayered guanine crystals which enable high reflection with light interference colouration. Platelets shape in body photophores is an unique near-regular hexagonal, probably to allow the homogeneity of reflection angle of the luminescence from photocytes. Focus point of the parabola-like reflector is positioned on the photocytes that ensures the light produced from the photocytes is redirected to the ventral direction. In vitro luminescence reaction using purified luciferase and the substrate coelenterazine showed the light emission at λmax 454â¯nm, while reflection spectra of the iridophores exhibit peaks at longer wavelength, which accomplish to alter the luminescence emitted from photocytes to longer wavelength to fit the mesopelagic light environment. Taken together, we revealed multiple mechanistic elaborations in myctophid body photophores to achieve effective control of biochemical luminescence for counterillumination.
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1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Peces
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Biochem Biophys Res Commun
Año:
2020
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Japón