Abstract
We report some unique features of retinal cone ellipsosomes in mountain-stream teleosts. They have also been compared with oil droplets occurring predominantly in many reptilian and avian retinas. Ontogenetically, ellipsosome differentiation from ellipsoidal mitochondria occurs with advance eye growth (diameter>1 mm). In juvenile loaches, they arise almost simultaneously in the dorsal and ventral retina, whereas in cyprinids, they appear first dorsally in bottom-dwelling early juveniles (approximate age 3–4 months), and then in the ventral retina in migratory late juveniles (eye diameter>4 mm, approximate age 2 years). The significance of the pattern of ontogeny of ellipsosomes in these stream fishes is discussed in relation to their utilization of a complex habitat during life. All adult cones possess conspicuous ellipsosomes. Histochemically, they react strongly with phosphotungstic-acid hematoxylin, a dye specific for proteins, whereas oil droplets refuse to do so (studied in turtle and pigeon). This reflects a major chemical difference between the two types of globules. Since ellipsosomes are present in the double cone accessory unit (which in higher vertebrates lacks an oil droplet) and since they appear late ontogenetically during advanced eye growth, they cannot be related to oil droplets, which have an embryonic developmental program.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Anctil M, Ali MA (1976) Cone droplets of mitochondrial origin in the retina of Fundulus heteroclitus (Pisces: Cyprinodontidae). Zoomorphologie 84:103–111
Berger ER (1964) Mitochondrial genesis in the retinal photoreceptor inner segment. J Ultrastruct Res 11:90–111
Berger ER (1966) On the mitochondrial origin of oil drops in the retinal double cone inner segments. J Ultrastruct Res 14:143–157
Bhattacharjee J, Nag TC (1987) Photoreceptor diversity in the sub-Himalayan snow-trout Schizothorax richardsonii (Gray): possible ocular adaptations to hill-stream microhabitat (abstract). Acta Anat 130:11
Borwein B, Hollenberg MJ (1973) The photoreceptors of the “four eyed” fish, Anableps anableps L. J Morphol 140:405–442
Bowmaker JK (1990) Visual pigments of fishes. In: Douglas RH and Djamgoz MBA (eds) The visual system of fish. Chapman and Hall, London, pp 81–107
Cameron DA, Pugh EN Jr (1991) Double cones as a basis for a new type of polarization vision in vertebrates. Nature 353:161–164
Coulombre AJ (1955) Correlations of structural and biochemical changes in the developing retina of the chick. Am J Anat 9:153–189
Day F (1873) Report on the fresh water fish and fisheries of India and Burma. Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing Calcutta
Dunn RF (1973) The ultrastructure of the vertebrate retina. In: Friedmann I (ed) The ultrastructure of sensory organs. North Holland, Amsterdam, pp 153–265
Hawryshyn CW, McFarland WN (1987) Cone photoreceptor mechanisms and the detection of polarized light in fish. J Comp Physiol [B] 160:459–465
Ishikawa T, Yamada E (1969) Atypical mitochondria in the ellipsoid of the photoreceptor cells of vertebrate retinas. Invest Ophthalmol 8:302–316
Johnston D, Hudson RA (1976) Isolation and composition of carotenoid-containing oil droplets from cone photoreceptors. Biochim Biophys Acta 424:235–245
Kunz YW, Regan C (1973) Histochemical investigations into the lipid nature of oil droplet in the retinal twin cones of Lebistes reticulatus (Peters). Rev Suisse Zool 80:699–703
Kunz YW, Wise C (1973) Ultrastructure of the oil droplet in the retinal twin cone of Lebistes reticulatus (Peters). Preliminary results. Rev Suisse Zool 80:694–698
Lythgoe JN (1979) The ecology of vision. Clarendon, Oxford
MacNichol EF, Kunz YW, Levine JS, Harosi FI, Collins BA (1978) Ellipsosomes: organelles containing a cytochrome-like pigment in the retinal cones of certain fishes. Science 200: 549–552
Morris VB, Shorey CD (1967) An electron microscope study of types of receptors in the chick retina. J Comp Neurol 129: 313–339
Muntz WRA (1972) Inert absorbing and reflecting pigments. In: Dartnall HJA (ed) Handbook of sensory physiology, vol 7. Photochemistry of vision. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 529–565
Nag TC, Bhattacharjee J (1989) Retinal organisation in a hill stream cyprinid, Crossocheilus latius latius Hamilton. Exp Biol 48:197–202
Pedler C, Boyle M (1969) Multipe oil droplets in the photoreceptors of the pigeon. Vision Res 9:525–528
Rodieck RW (1973) The vertebrate retina. Principles of structure and function. Freeman, San Francisco
Wheeler TG (1982) Color vision and retinal chromatic in formation processing in teleost: a review. Brain Res Rev 4:177–235
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nag, T.C., Bhattacharjee, J. Retinal ellipsosomes: morphology, development, identification, and comparison with oil droplets. Cell Tissue Res 279, 633–637 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00318176
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00318176