Cryptochromes and the visual complex in the Antarctic krill Euphausia superba [Programma Nazionale Ricerche in Antartide - Bando 2013]

• Main Authors: BERTOLUCCI, Cristiano, Costa R.
• Other Authors: Bertolucci, Cristiano, Costa, R.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctic Krill; Antartide; Euphausia superba
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11392/1945012

Antarctic krill has adapted to an extremely variable environment in terms of day length, light intensity and spectrum, suggesting that visual sense is extremely important in this organism. Almost all euphausiids possess extremely well-developed compound eyes and photophores. Moreover the retinal pattern formation and differentiation is very similar between crustaceans and insects. In Drosophila, the components of visual signalling are organized in a complex localized on rhabdomeres. A diurnal rhythm in visual sensitivity has been observed in the fly and we have recently demonstrated that the circadian photoreceptor CRYPTOCHROME (CRY) interacts with the phototransduction complex (Signalplex) to modulate vision in a circadian manner. We will: A) Identify the components of the krill visual cascade, search for their interaction by using the yeast-two and three hybrid assay and check whether Cryptochromes belong to this complex. B) Investigate on the role of Cryptochromes in the regulation of the phototaxis and the optomotor response.