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：视觉系统对动物而言至关重要，参与配偶选择、食物获取以及天敌规避等关键生命活动。具备视觉系统的动物可感知物体及其周围环境辐射的特定波长光线，并通过处理这些视觉光线所携带的信息来感知周遭环境。个体的视觉感知能力会随视觉色素的吸收光谱以及视蛋白（opsin）基因的表达水平发生变化，而这些参数可随光照环境发生改变。然而，目前学界尚未明确具体是哪些光照环境、其调控视蛋白表达谱的分子机制，以及视蛋白基因表达的变化是否会影响光线敏感度。本研究以孔雀鱼（Poecilia reticulata）为实验对象，探究生长阶段的光照环境是否会诱导其视蛋白基因表达发生可塑性变化，以及是否会改变其对特定波长光线的行为敏感度。 研究结果：相较于在绿光环境下饲养的孔雀鱼，在橙光环境下饲养的个体，其长波长敏感（long wavelength-sensitive, LWS）视蛋白基因的表达量更高，对600nm光线的敏感度也更强。此外，本研究证实，LWS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显著相关。 研究结论：生长阶段的光照环境会改变孔雀鱼体内LWS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介导的背景光线敏感度可塑性提升，可增强动物对天敌与食物的探测能力及可见性，进而影响其生存。此外，对橙光敏感度的变化可能会改变孔雀鱼雄性个体橙/红色体色的识别能力，并可能影响雌性个体对雄性体色图案的择偶偏好。