Dynamic plasticity in phototransduction regulates seasonal changes in color perception

Tsuyoshi Shimmura, Tomoya Nakayama, Ai Shinomiya, Shoji Fukamachi, Masaki Yasugi, Eiji Watanabe, Takayuki Shimo, Takumi Senga, Toshiya Nishimura, Minoru Tanaka, Yasuhiro Kamei, Kiyoshi Naruse and Takashi Yoshimura ()
Additional contact information
Tsuyoshi Shimmura: National Institutes of Natural Sciences
Tomoya Nakayama: National Institutes of Natural Sciences
Ai Shinomiya: National Institutes of Natural Sciences
Shoji Fukamachi: Japan Women’s University
Masaki Yasugi: National Institutes of Natural Sciences
Eiji Watanabe: The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)
Takayuki Shimo: National Institutes of Natural Sciences
Takumi Senga: National Institutes of Natural Sciences
Toshiya Nishimura: National Institute for Basic Biology
Minoru Tanaka: The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)
Yasuhiro Kamei: The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)
Kiyoshi Naruse: The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)
Takashi Yoshimura: National Institutes of Natural Sciences

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract To cope with seasonal changes in the environment, organisms adapt their physiology and behavior. Although color perception varies among seasons, the underlying molecular basis and its physiological significance remain unclear. Here we show that dynamic plasticity in phototransduction regulates seasonal changes in color perception in medaka fish. Medaka are active and exhibit clear phototaxis in conditions simulating summer, but remain at the bottom of the tank and fail to exhibit phototaxis in conditions simulating winter. Mate preference tests using virtual fish created with computer graphics demonstrate that medaka are more attracted to orange-red-colored model fish in summer than in winter. Transcriptome analysis of the eye reveals dynamic seasonal changes in the expression of genes encoding photopigments and their downstream pathways. Behavioral analysis of photopigment-null fish shows significant differences from wild type, suggesting that plasticity in color perception is crucial for the emergence of seasonally regulated behaviors.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00432-8

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