Polarization sensitivity in crayfish lamina monopolar neurons

Abstract

Polarization sensitivity (PS) was examined in photoreceptors and lamina monopolar cells (LMCs)in two species of crayfish, Procambarus clarkii and Pacifasticus leniusculus. The measurements were made with intracellular recordings and broad field illumination.2. PS is about 40% greater in Pacifasticus than in Procambarus (Table 1). In both species the LMC stationary PS profiles (estimated with flashes) are similar to those of receptors (Figs. 1 and 2). Both receptor and LMC sensitivity profiles are well described by cos20 functions (Fig. 3). PS was observed in all receptors and 78% of LMCs. 3. When stimulated with a rotating polarizer, receptors and LMCs exhibit membrane potential modulation with phase predicted by the stationary PS profile (Fig. 5). In photoreceptors, the polarization-elicited percent modulation falls off steeply as intensity increases. The LMC modulation is stronger than that in receptors and relatively insensitive to the mean intensity (Figs. 6 to 8). For low intensities the LMC modulation is 100%. The LMC dynamic behavior is consistent with either an opponency mechanism or strong but polarization-insensitive lateral inhibition. 4. Receptors and LMCs exhibit steady-state differential sensitivity to stationary e-vector orientation (Fig. 9). 5. About 10% of the LMC neurons exhibit PS maxima separated by 90 ~ These results imply a nonlinear summation of signals from orthogonal receptor channels (Fig. 10).

Electrophysiological evidence for linear polarization sensitivity in the compound eyes of the stomatopod crustacean Gonodactylus chiragra

“…Within the structurally unspecialized hemispheric retina, the mean PS values of the photoreceptors R1-R7 (PS=3.8±1.6) are similar to values that have been reported for photoreceptors of the crayfish and the green crab (Glantz, 1996a;Glantz, 1996b;Shaw, 1966;Shaw, 1969;Waterman and Fernandez, 1970). The mean PS value of the stomatopod's 'high PS receptors' is significantly increased (PS=6.1±2).…”

Polarization sensitivity as a contrast enhancer in pelagic predators: lessons fromin situpolarization imaging of transparent zooplankton

“…These animals are also capable of rotational eye movements that could theoretically optimize the signal difference between channels in the same way as we did by rotating the camera systems. Opponency, or signal comparison, between the horizontal and vertical channels is known, at least for the crustaceans and cephalopods [53][54][55], pointing towards a neural correlate of the algorithms we have developed. This remains to be tested neurophysiologically or behaviourally.…”

The molecular basis of mechanisms underlying polarization vision

“…Abbreviations for arthropod (Hexapoda and Malacostraca) receptor classes where PS was measured: UV, ultraviolet-sensitive; UV-DRA, ultraviolet-sensitive receptor in dorsal rim area of eye; V, violet-sensitive; BL, bluesensitive; GR, green-sensitive; SGR, green-sensitive with single peak absorbance; DGR, green-sensitive with double peak absorbance; R, red-sensitive; MB pol, midband polarization specialist receptors; MB colour, midband colour specialist receptors; PER, peripheral eye receptors. See the following references for detailed methods: (i) vertebrate cones [14,41,90]; (ii) Hexapod receptors [22,25,[91][92][93][94]; (iii) Malacostracan receptors [95][96][97]; (iv) Arachnida receptors [21]; (v) Cephalopoda receptors [98]. Maximum recorded polarization sensitivity: purple line, ,2; blue line, 2.1-4; green line, 4.1-6; yellow line, 6.1-8; orange line, 8.1-10; red line, .…”