TRANSCRIPTION OF THE OPSIN GENE IN DEGENERATE EYES OF CAVE-DWELLING ASTYANAX-FASCIATUS (TELEOSTEI, CHARACIDAE) AND OF ITS CONSPECIFIC EPIGEAN ANCESTOR DURING EARLY ONTOGENY

The early morphogenesis of the degenerate eyes of the Mexican cave fish Astyanax fasciatus and of its conspecific epigean ancestor has been studied comparatively using light- and electron-microscopical techniques; the transcription of the opsin gene has been analysed during early ontogeny in both populations by in situ hybridization. The opsin protein is an integral component of the disk membranes of the photoreceptor cells. In epigean specimens, its expression is correlated with the beginning of outer segment formation on the third day of development. Morphogenesis of the cave fish eye is similar to that of the epigean eye until the end of the third day. However, eye growth and morphogenesis of the retina are delayed and sporadic cell death occurs in all retinal layers at the beginning of the second day. Retinal cytodifferentiation breaks off at the point of outer segment formation. Cave specimens are not able to develop regular outer segments at any stage, but the opsin gene is nevertheless expressed in the outer nuclear layer of the developing retina for a limited period of time. On the basis of the comparative morphology and transcriptional studies of epigean and cave specimens, it is suggested that the eye regression of cave fish is primarily the result of mutations of developmental control genes and not of structural genes.