Electrophysiological evidence of photoreceptors in the epistellar body of eledone moschata

ABSTRACT IN 1936 Young1 described a structure in several genera of octopods (cephalopods) appearing on the ventral surface of both stellate ganglia (near the base of the stellar nerve most

distal to the mantle connective) which he termed the “epistellar body”. From histological considerations he hypothesized that this body might have a neurosecretory function. Nishioka _et

al._2 reinvestigated this structure in _Octopus_ in more detail and, by electron microscopy, made the significant observation that the epistellar body contains cells the surfaces of which

display microvilli suggesting rhabdomeric structures as seen typically in molluscan and arthropod visual photoreceptors. Later Nishioka _et al._3 extended their investigations to include

_Eledone moschata_ and presented not only further electron micrograph data on the rhabdomeric ultrastructure but also biochemical data indicating the presence of a rhodopsin photopigment.

Thus these investigators argued that the neurone-like cells of the epistellar body could be photo-receptors. We present here electrophysiological evidence clearly indicating the presence of

photoreceptor cells in the epistellar body. There is already electrophysiological evidence for extracellular photoreceptors in arthropods4–7, molluscs8,9 and for photoreceptors in the

diencephalon of the frog10,11. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS Access through your

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FAQs * Contact customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS A SINGLE-CELL ATLAS OF THE BOBTAIL SQUID VISUAL AND NERVOUS SYSTEM HIGHLIGHTS MOLECULAR PRINCIPLES OF CONVERGENT

EVOLUTION Article Open access 06 June 2025 THE NON-VISUAL OPSINS EXPRESSED IN DEEP BRAIN NEURONS PROJECTING TO THE RETINA IN LAMPREYS Article Open access 15 June 2020 ANATOMY OF SUPERIOR

OLIVARY COMPLEX AND LATERAL LEMNISCUS IN ETRUSCAN SHREW Article Open access 26 June 2024 REFERENCES * Young, J. Z., _Quart. J. Microsc. Sci._, 78, 311 (1936). Google Scholar  * Nishioka, R.

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Scholar  Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION Author notes * ALEXANDER MAURO Present address: Rockefeller University, New York AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Zoological Station, Naples

ALEXANDER MAURO & FRITZ BAUMANN * Institute of Physiology, University of Geneva, Switzerland FRITZ BAUMANN Authors * ALEXANDER MAURO View author publications You can also search for this

author inPubMed Google Scholar * FRITZ BAUMANN View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT

THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE MAURO, A., BAUMANN, F. Electrophysiological Evidence of Photoreceptors in the Epistellar Body of _Eledone moschata_. _Nature_ 220, 1332–1334 (1968).

https://doi.org/10.1038/2201332a0 Download citation * Received: 16 October 1968 * Revised: 14 November 1968 * Issue Date: 28 December 1968 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/2201332a0 SHARE THIS

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