Data from: Effects of light environment during growth on the expression of cone opsin genes and behavioral spectral sensitivities in guppies (Poecilia reticulata)

Background: The visual system is important for animals for mate choice, food acquisition, and predator avoidance. Animals possessing a visual system can sense particular wavelengths of light emanating from objects and their surroundings and perceive their environments by processing information contained in these visual perceptions of light. Visual perception in individuals varies with the absorption spectra of visual pigments and the expression levels of opsin genes, which may be altered according to the light environments. However, which light environments and the mechanism by which they change opsin expression profiles and whether these changes in opsin gene expression can affect light sensitivities are largely unknown. This study determined whether the light environment during growth induced plastic changes in opsin gene expression and behavioral sensitivity to particular wavelengths of light in guppies (Poecilia reticulata). Results: Individuals grown under orange light exhibited a higher expression of long wavelength-sensitive (LWS) opsin genes and a higher sensitivity to 600-nm light than those grown under green light. In addition, we confirmed that variations in the expression levels of LWS opsin genes were related to the behavioral sensitivities to long wavelengths of light. Conclusions: The light environment during the growth stage alters the expression levels of LWS opsin genes and behavioral sensitivities to long wavelengths of light in guppies. The plastically enhanced sensitivity to background light due to changes in opsin gene expression can enhance the detection and visibility of predators and foods, thereby affecting survival. Moreover, changes in sensitivities to orange light may lead to changes in the discrimination of orange/red colors of male guppies and might alter female preferences for male color patterns.研究背景：视觉系统对于动物的配偶选择、食物获取以及天敌规避均具有重要意义。拥有视觉系统的动物能够感知物体及其周围环境所辐射的特定波长光线，并通过处理这些视觉感知所携带的光线信息来认知周遭环境。个体的视觉感知会随视觉色素的吸收光谱以及视蛋白基因的表达水平发生变化，而这些参数可根据光照环境发生改变。然而，目前尚不清楚具体是哪些光照环境、其改变视蛋白表达谱的机制为何，以及视蛋白基因表达的此类变化是否会影响光线敏感度。本研究探究了生长过程中的光照环境是否会导致孔雀鱼（Poecilia reticulata）的视蛋白基因表达发生可塑性改变，以及其对特定波长光线的行为敏感度产生影响。 研究结果：在橙色光照环境下生长的个体，其长波长敏感（long wavelength-sensitive, LWS）视蛋白基因的表达水平更高，且对600纳米光线的敏感度也高于在绿色光照环境下生长的个体。此外，本研究证实了长波长敏感视蛋白基因的表达水平变化与动物对长波长光线的行为敏感度存在关联。 研究结论：生长阶段的光照环境会改变孔雀鱼体内长波长敏感视蛋白基因的表达水平，以及其对长波长光线的行为敏感度。由视蛋白基因表达变化所引发的对背景光线敏感度的可塑性增强，可提升对天敌与食物的探测与辨识度，进而影响个体存活。此外，对橙色光线敏感度的改变可能会导致孔雀鱼雄性个体橙红色色彩识别能力发生变化，并可能改变雌性对雄性体色图案的择偶偏好。