The retina of salmonid fishes has two types of cone photoreceptors:
single and double cones. At the nuclear level, these cones are distributed
in a square mosaic such that the double cones form the sides of the square
and the single cones occupy positions at the centre and at the corners of
the square. Double cones consist of two members, one having visual pigment
protein maximally sensitive to green light (RH2 opsin), the other
maximally sensitive to red light (LWS opsin). Single cones can have opsins
maximally sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) or blue light (SWS1 and SWS2
opsins, respectively). In Pacific salmonids, all single cones express UV
opsin at hatching. Around the time of yolk sac absorption, single cones
start switching opsin expression from UV to blue, in an event that
proceeds from the ventral to the dorsal retina. This transformation is
accompanied by a loss of single corner cones such that the large juvenile
shows corner cones and UV opsin expression in the dorsal retina only.
Previous research has shown that adult Pacific salmon have corner cones
over large areas of retina suggesting that these cones may be regenerated
and that they may express UV opsin. Here we used in-situ
hybridization with cRNA probes and RT-PCR to show that: (1) all single
cones in non-growth zone areas of the retina express blue opsin and (2)
double cone opsin expression alternates around the square mosaic unit. Our
results indicate that single cone driven UV sensitivity in adult salmon
must emanate from stimulation of growth zone areas.