Light-avoidance-mediating photoreceptors tile the Drosophila larval body wall

Yang Xiang, Quan Yuan, Nina Vogt, Loren L. Looger, Lily Yeh Jan and Yuh Nung Jan ()
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Yang Xiang: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Biochemistry, and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco
Quan Yuan: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Biochemistry, and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco
Nina Vogt: Center for Developmental Genetics, New York University
Loren L. Looger: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Farm Research Campus
Lily Yeh Jan: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Biochemistry, and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco
Yuh Nung Jan: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Biochemistry, and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco

Nature, 2010, vol. 468, issue 7326, 921-926

Abstract: Abstract Photoreceptors for visual perception, phototaxis or light avoidance are typically clustered in eyes or related structures such as the Bolwig organ of Drosophila larvae. Unexpectedly, we found that the class IV dendritic arborization neurons of Drosophila melanogaster larvae respond to ultraviolet, violet and blue light, and are major mediators of light avoidance, particularly at high intensities. These class IV dendritic arborization neurons, which are present in every body segment, have dendrites tiling the larval body wall nearly completely without redundancy. Dendritic illumination activates class IV dendritic arborization neurons. These novel photoreceptors use phototransduction machinery distinct from other photoreceptors in Drosophila and enable larvae to sense light exposure over their entire bodies and move out of danger.

Date: 2010
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DOI: 10.1038/nature09576

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