Animal Evolutionary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
PLoS One. 2012;7(6):e37913. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037913. Epub 2012 Jun 6.
Body coloration plays a major role in fish ecology and is predominantly generated using two principles: a) absorbance combined with reflection of the incoming light in pigment colors and b) scatter, refraction, diffraction and interference in structural colors. Poikilotherms, and especially fishes possess several cell types, so-called chromatophores, which employ either of these principles. Together, they generate the dynamic, multi-color patterns used in communication and camouflage. Several chromatophore types possess motile organelles, which enable rapid changes in coloration. Recently, we described red fluorescence in a number of marine fish and argued that it may be used for private communication in an environment devoid of red. Here, we describe the discovery of a chromatophore in fishes that regulates the distribution of fluorescent pigments in parts of the skin. These cells have a dendritic shape and contain motile fluorescent particles. We show experimentally that the fluorescent particles can be aggregated or dispersed through hormonal and nervous control. This is the first description of a stable and natural cytoskeleton-related fluorescence control mechanism in vertebrate cells. Its nervous control supports suggestions that fluorescence could act as a context-dependent signal in some marine fish species and encourages further research in this field. The fluorescent substance is stable under different chemical conditions and shows no discernible bleaching under strong, constant illumination.
体色在鱼类生态学中起着重要作用，主要通过两种原理产生：a）吸收与入射光结合的色素颜色的反射，以及 b）结构颜色的散射、折射、衍射和干涉。变温动物，尤其是鱼类，拥有几种细胞类型，即所谓的色素细胞，它们采用这两种原理中的任何一种。这些原理共同产生用于交流和伪装的动态、多色图案。几种色素细胞类型拥有可移动的细胞器，能够实现快速的变色。最近，我们在一些海洋鱼类中发现了红色荧光，并认为在没有红色的环境中，它可能用于私密交流。在这里，我们描述了鱼类中一种能够调节皮肤部分荧光色素分布的色素细胞的发现。这些细胞具有树突状形状，并包含可移动的荧光颗粒。我们通过实验证明，荧光颗粒可以通过激素和神经控制进行聚集或分散。这是在脊椎动物细胞中首次描述稳定的、与细胞骨架相关的荧光控制机制。其神经控制支持了荧光可能在某些海洋鱼类物种中作为情境依赖信号的观点，并鼓励在该领域进行进一步研究。荧光物质在不同的化学条件下稳定，在强烈、持续的光照下也没有明显的褪色。
