scholarly journals Synaptic targets of functionally specialized R7 and R8 photoreceptors in the central eye and dorsal rim area of Drosophila

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emil Kind ◽  
Kit D. Longden ◽  
Aljoscha Nern ◽  
Arthur Zhao ◽  
Gizem Sancer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neural Circuits ◽  
Light And Electron Microscopy ◽  
Polarized Light ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Polarization Vision ◽  
Complementary Information ◽  
Color Processing ◽  
Dorsal Rim Area ◽  
The World ◽  
Central Brain

Color and polarization provide complementary information about the world and are detected by specialized photoreceptors. However, the downstream neural circuits that process these distinct modalities are incompletely understood in any animal. We have systematically reconstructed, using light and electron microscopy, the synaptic targets of the photoreceptors specialized to detect color and polarized light in Drosophila. We identified known and novel downstream targets that are selective for different wavelengths as well as for polarized light and followed their projections to other areas in the optic lobes and the central brain. Strikingly, photoreceptors in the polarization-sensitive dorsal rim area target fewer cell types, that lack strong connections to the lobula, a neuropil with a proposed role in color processing. Our reconstruction identifies shared wiring and modality-specific specializations for color and polarization vision, and provides a comprehensive view of the first steps of the pathways processing color and polarized light inputs.

scholarly journals Synaptic targets of photoreceptors specialized to detect color and skylight polarization in Drosophila

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emil Kind ◽  
Kit D Longden ◽  
Aljoscha Nern ◽  
Arthur Zhao ◽  
Gizem Sancer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neural Circuits ◽  
Polarized Light ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Complementary Information ◽  
Color Processing ◽  
Optic Lobes ◽  
Skylight Polarization ◽  
The World ◽  
Central Brain

Color and polarization provide complementary information about the world and are detected by specialized photoreceptors. However, the downstream neural circuits that process these distinct modalities are incompletely understood in any animal. Using electron microscopy, we have systematically reconstructed the synaptic targets of the photoreceptors specialized to detect color and skylight polarization in Drosophila, and we have used light microscopy to confirm many of our findings. We identified known and novel downstream targets that are selective for different wavelengths or polarized light, and followed their projections to other areas in the optic lobes and the central brain. Our results revealed many synapses along the photoreceptor axons between brain regions, new pathways in the optic lobes, and spatially segregated projections to central brain regions. Strikingly, photoreceptors in the polarization-sensitive dorsal rim area target fewer cell types, and lack strong connections to the lobula, a neuropil involved in color processing. Our reconstruction identifies shared wiring and modality-specific specializations for color and polarization vision, and provides a comprehensive view of the first steps of the pathways processing color and polarized light inputs.

scholarly journals Cellular and synaptic adaptations of neural circuits processing skylight polarization in the fly

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gizem Sancer ◽  
Emil Kind ◽  
Juliane Uhlhorn ◽  
Julia Volkmann ◽  
Johannes Hammacher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Functional Role ◽  
Neural Circuits ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Neuronal Morphology ◽  
Synaptic Membranes ◽  
Polarization Vision ◽  
Optic Lobes ◽  
Skylight Polarization ◽  
Central Brain

AbstractSpecialized ommatidia harboring polarization-sensitive photoreceptors exist in the ‘dorsal rim area’ (DRA) of virtually all insects. Although downstream elements have been described both anatomically and physiologically throughout the optic lobes and the central brain of different species, little is known about their cellular and synaptic adaptations and how these shape their functional role in polarization vision. We have previously shown that in the DRA of Drosophila melanogaster, two distinct types of modality-specific ‘distal medulla’ cell types (Dm-DRA1 and Dm-DRA2) are post-synaptic to long visual fiber photoreceptors R7 and R8, respectively. Here we describe additional neuronal elements in the medulla neuropil that manifest modality-specific differences in the DRA region, including DRA-specific neuronal morphology, as well as differences in the structure of pre- or post-synaptic membranes. Furthermore, we show that certain cell types (medulla tangential cells and octopaminergic neuromodulatory cells) specifically avoid contacts with polarization-sensitive photoreceptors. Finally, while certain transmedullary cells are specifically absent from DRA medulla columns, other subtypes show specific wiring differences while still connecting the DRA to the lobula complex, as previously been described in larger insects. This hints towards a complex circuit architecture with more than one pathway connecting polarization-sensitive DRA photoreceptors with the central brain.

The structure of the gills of the axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum

1987 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 824-825
Author(s):  
Mohinder S. Jarial
Keyword(s):  
Leydig Cells ◽  
Secretory Granules ◽  
Light And Electron Microscopy ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Ambystoma Mexicanum ◽  
Basal Cells ◽  
Granular Cells ◽  
Gill Filaments ◽  
Mitotic Figures ◽  
Apical Membranes

The axolotl is a strictly aquatic salamander in which the larval external gills are retained throughout life. The external gills of the adult axolotl have been studied by light and electron microscopy for ultrastructural evidence of ionic transport. The thin epidermis of the gill filaments and gill stems is composed of 3 cell types: granular cells, the basal cells and a sparce population of intervening Leydig cells. The gill epidermis is devoid of muscles, and no mitotic figures were observed in any of its cells.The granular cells cover the gill surface as a continuous layer (Fig. 1, G) and contain secretory granules of different forms, located apically (Figs.1, 2, SG). Some granules are found intimately associated with the apical membrane while others fuse with it and release their contents onto the external surface (Fig. 3). The apical membranes of the granular cells exhibit microvilli which are covered by a PAS+ fuzzy coat, termed “glycocalyx” (Fig. 2, MV).

Subsurface imaging for panel paintings inspection: A comparative study of the ultraviolet, the visible, the infrared and the terahertz spectra

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Bendada ◽  
S. Sfarra ◽  
C. Ibarra−Castanedo ◽  
M. Akhloufi ◽  
J.−P. Caumes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Subsurface Imaging ◽  
Wide Spread ◽  
Ir Thermography ◽  
Complementary Information ◽  
Ir Sensors ◽  
The World ◽  
Panel Paintings ◽  
Temperature Maps ◽  
Illumination Source ◽  
Ir Reflectography

AbstractInfrared (IR) reflectography has been used for many years for the detection of underdrawings on panel paintings. Advances in the fields of IR sensors and optics have impelled the wide spread use of IR reflectography by several recognized Art Museums and specialized laboratories around the World. The transparency or opacity of a painting is the result of a complex combination of the optical properties of the painting pigments and the underdrawing material, as well as the type of illumination source and the sensor characteristics. For this reason, recent researches have been directed towards the study of multispectral approaches that could provide simultaneous and complementary information of an artwork. The present work relies on non−simultaneous multispectral inspection using a set of detectors covering from the ultraviolet to the terahertz spectra. It is observed that underdrawings contrast increases with wavelength up to 1700 nm and, then, gradually decreases. In addition, it is shown that IR thermography, i.e., temperature maps or thermograms, could be used simultaneously as an alternative technique for the detection of underdrawings besides the detection of subsurface defects.

scholarly journals Ultraviolet polarization vision in fishes: possible mechanisms for coding e–vector

2000 ◽  
Vol 355 (1401) ◽  
pp. 1187-1190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig W. Hawryshyn
Keyword(s):  
Polarized Light ◽  
Spatial Arrangement ◽  
Short Review ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
Polarization Sensitivity ◽  
Polarization Vision ◽  
Selective Reflection ◽  
Mosaic Pattern ◽  
Cone Mosaic ◽  
Biophysical Mechanism

Polarization vision in vertebrates has been marked with significant controversy over recent decades. In the last decade, however, models from two laboratories have indicated that the spatial arrangement of photoreceptors provides the basis for polarization sensitivity.Work in my laboratory, in collaboration with I. Novales Flamarique and F. I. Harosi, has shown that polarization sensitivity depends on a well–defined square cone mosaic pattern and that the biophysical properties of the square cone mosaic probably account for polarization vision in the ultraviolet spectrum. The biophysical mechanism appears to be based on the selective reflection of axial–polarized light by the partitioning membrane, formed along the contact zone between the members of the double cones, onto neighbouring ultraviolet–sensitive cones. In this short review, I discuss the historical development of this research problem.

scholarly journals Muscle contracture and passive mechanics in cerebral palsy

2019 ◽  
Vol 126 (5) ◽  
pp. 1492-1501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard L. Lieber ◽  
Jan Fridén
Keyword(s):  
Extracellular Matrix ◽  
Cerebral Palsy ◽  
Satellite Cells ◽  
Neuromuscular Disorders ◽  
Light And Electron Microscopy ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Muscle Stiffness ◽  
Muscle Satellite Cells ◽  
Cord Injury

Skeletal muscle contractures represent the permanent shortening of a muscle-tendon unit, resulting in loss of elasticity and, in extreme cases, joint deformation. They may result from cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, stroke, muscular dystrophy, and other neuromuscular disorders. Contractures are the prototypic and most severe clinical presentation of increased passive mechanical muscle force in humans, often requiring surgical correction. Intraoperative experiments demonstrate that high muscle passive force is associated with sarcomeres that are abnormally stretched, although otherwise normal, with fewer sarcomeres in series. Furthermore, changes in the amount and arrangement of collagen in the extracellular matrix also increase muscle stiffness. Structural light and electron microscopy studies demonstrate that large bundles of collagen, referred to as perimysial cables, may be responsible for this increased stiffness and are regulated by interaction of a number of cell types within the extracellular matrix. Loss of muscle satellite cells may be related to changes in both sarcomeres and extracellular matrix. Future studies are required to determine the underlying mechanism for changes in muscle satellite cells and their relationship (if any) to contracture. A more complete understanding of this mechanism may lead to effective nonsurgical treatments to relieve and even prevent muscle contractures.

scholarly journals Symplekin, a novel type of tight junction plaque protein.

1996 ◽  
Vol 134 (4) ◽  
pp. 1003-1018 ◽  
Author(s):  
B H Keon ◽  
S Schäfer ◽  
C Kuhn ◽  
C Grund ◽  
W W Franke
Keyword(s):  
Tight Junction ◽  
Tight Junctions ◽  
Sertoli Cells ◽  
Light And Electron Microscopy ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Calculated Molecular Weight ◽  
Zonula Occludens ◽  
Cytoplasmic Face ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Vascular Endothelia

Using a monoclonal antibody we have identified and cDNA-cloned a novel type of protein localized, by light and electron microscopy, to the plaque associated with the cytoplasmic face of the tight junction-containing zone (zonula occludens) of polar epithelial cells and of Sertoli cells of testis, but absent from the junctions of vascular endothelia. The approximately 3.7-kb mRNA encodes a polypeptide of 1142 amino acids (calculated molecular weight 126.5 kD, pI 6.25), for which the name "symplekin" (from Greek sigma upsilon mu pi lambda epsilon kappa epsilon iota, nu, to tie together, to weave, to be intertwined) is proposed. However, both the mRNA and the protein can also be detected in a wide range of cell types that do not form tight junctions or are even completely devoid of any stable cell contacts. Careful analyses have revealed that the protein occurs in all these diverse cells in the nucleoplasm, and only in those cells forming tight junctions is it recruited, partly but specifically, to the plaque structure of the zonula occludens. We discuss symplekin as a representative of a group of dual residence proteins which occur and probably function in the nucleus as well as in the plaques exclusive for either tight junctions, adherens junctions, or desmosomes.

Polarization analysis in the crayfish visual system

2001 ◽  
Vol 204 (14) ◽  
pp. 2383-2390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymon M. Glantz
Keyword(s):  
Visual System ◽  
Motor Neurons ◽  
Polarized Light ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Afferent Input ◽  
Polarization Sensitivity ◽  
Polarization Analysis ◽  
Low Contrast ◽  
Motion Responses ◽  
Light Flashes

SUMMARY It is proposed that polarization sensitivity at the most peripheral stages of the crayfish visual system (lamina ganglionaris and medulla externa) is used to enhance contrast and thus may contribute to motion detection in low contrast environments. The four classes of visual interneurons that exhibit polarization sensitivity (lamina monopolar cells, tangential cells, sustaining fibers and dimming fibers) are not sensitive exclusively to polarized light but also respond to unpolarized contrast stimuli. Furthermore, many of these cells and the sustaining fibers in particular exhibit a greater differential e-vector responsiveness to a changing e-vector than to e-vector variations among steady-state stimuli. While all four cell types respond modestly to light flashes at an e-vector of 90° to the preferred orientation, the dynamic response to a changing e-vector is small or absent at this orientation. Because the sustaining fibers exhibit polarization sensitivity, and they provide afferent input to a subset of optomotor neurons, the latter were also tested for polarization sensitivity. The optomotor neurons involved in compensatory reflexes for body pitch were differentially sensitive to the e-vector angle of a flash of light, with maximum responses for e-vectors near the vertical. The motor neurons also exhibited a maximum response near the vertical e-vector to a continuously rotating polarizer. Two scenarios are described in which the sensitivity to a changing e-vector can produce motion responses in the absence of intensity contrast.

scholarly journals Expression of multiple isozymes of granulocyte, monocyte, and macrophage esterases in polycythemic Friend erythroleukemia cells

Blood ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 425-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
JM Woytowicz ◽  
PR Daoust ◽  
J Andre-Schwartz ◽  
SB Levy
Keyword(s):  
Esterase Activity ◽  
Light And Electron Microscopy ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Morphological Evidence ◽  
Adherent Cell ◽  
Nonspecific Esterase ◽  
Ultrastructural Studies ◽  
Virus Complex ◽  
Erythroleukemic Cell ◽  
Erythroleukemic Cells

Abstract We examined the expression of cytochemical markers of myeloid and monocyte-macrophage differentiation in conjunction with ultrastructural studies of different malignant erythroleukemic cells isolated from mice infected with the Friend polycythemic virus complex (FLV-P). The amounts of fluoride-sensitive and resistant nonspecific esterase activity increased with the progression of malignancy. Isoelectric focusing resolved this enzyme activity into 13 isozymes in the most malignant Friend cell type tested. These same isozymes were found in the adherent cell population of normal spleens. Two of these isozymes were shown to have chloroacetate esterase activity characteristic of granulocytes. Despite these myeloid and monocyte characteristics, light and electron microscopy showed no morphological evidence of differentiation in either of these lineages. This study demonstrates that the Friend erythroleukemic cell contains markers of three different hemopoietic cell types. The expression of myeloid, monocytic, and erythroid traits in these erythroleukemic cells can be used to monitor their malignant progression.

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