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Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol (November 7, 2002). doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00024.2002
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Articles in PresS, published online ahead of print November 7, 2002
Am J Physiol Regu Physiol, 10.1152/ajpregu.00024.2002
Submitted on January 16, 2002
Accepted on November 3, 2002

Wide-Band Spectral Tuning of Heat Receptors in the Pit Organ of the Copperhead Snake (Crotalinae)

Vera Y Moiseenkova1, Brent Bell2, Massoud Motamedi2, Edward Wozniak3, and Christensen N Burgess4*

1 Center for Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA; Department Physiology and Biophysics, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
2 Center for Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
3 Animal Resources Center, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
4 Department Physiology and Biophysics, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: bchriste{at}utmb.edu.

Receptors located in the facial pit organ of certain species of snake signal the presence of prey. Infrared radiation is an effective stimulus suggesting that these receptors may be low threshold temperature receptors. We have recorded from the nerve innervating the pit organ of snakes belonging to the family of Crotalinae while stimulating the receptive area with well defined optical stimuli. The objective was to determine the sensitivity of these receptors to a wide range (0.400 - 10.6 µm) of optical stimuli to determine if a temperature-sensitive or photosensitive protein initiated signal transduction. We have found that receptors in the pit organ exhibited a unique broad response to a wide range of electromagnetic radiation ranging from the near UV to the infrared. The spectral tuning of these receptors parallels closely the absorption spectra of water and oxyhemoglobin, the predominant chromophore in tissue. Our results support the hypothesis that these are receptors activated by minute temperature changes induced by direct absorption of optical radiation in the thin pit organ membrane.




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[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


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