9 research outputs found
CNGB3 mutations cause severe rod dysfunction
YesCongenital achromatopsia or rod monochromatism is a rare autosomal recessive condition
defined by a severe loss of cone photoreceptor function in which rods purportedly retain normal or
near-to-normal function. This report describes the results of electroretinography in two siblings with
CNGB3-associated achromatopsia.
Full field light- and dark-adapted electroretinograms (ERGs) were recorded using standard
protocols detailed by the International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision (ISCEV). We also
examined rod-mediated ERGs using series of stimuli that varied over a 6 log unit range of retinal
illuminances (−1.9–3.5 log scotopic trolands).
Dark-adapted ERGs in achromatopsia patients exhibited severely reduced b-wave amplitudes
with abnormal b:a ratios (1.3 and 0.6). In comparison, the reduction in a-wave amplitude was less
marked. The rod-mediated ERG took on an electronegative appearance at high-stimulus illuminances.
Although the defect that causes achromatopsia is primarily in the cone photoreceptors, our
results reveal an accompanying disruption of rod function that is more severe than has previously been
reported. The differential effects on the b-wave relative to the a-wave points to an inner-retinal locus for
the disruption of rod function in these patients
Investigation of the midgut structure and ultrastructure in Cimex lectularius and Cimex pipistrelli (Hemiptera, Cimicidae)
Cimicidae are temporary ectoparasites, which means that they cannot obtain food continuously. Both Cimex species examined here, Cimex lectularius (Linnaeus 1758) and Cimex pipistrelli (Jenyns 1839), can feed on a non-natal host, C. lectularius from humans on bats, C. pipistrelli on humans, but never naturally. The midgut of C. lectularius and C. pipistrelli is composed of three distinct regions—the anterior midgut (AMG), which has a sack-like shape, the long tube-shaped middle midgut (MMG), and the posterior midgut (PMG). The different ultrastructures of the AMG, MMG, and PMG in both of the species examined suggest that these regions must fulfill different functions in the digestive system. Ultrastructural analysis showed that the AMG fulfills the role of storing food and synthesizing and secreting enzymes, while the MMG is the main organ for the synthesis of enzymes, secretion, and the storage of the reserve material. Additionally, both regions, the AMG and MMG, are involved in water absorption in the digestive system of both Cimex species. The PMG is the part of the midgut in which spherites accumulate. The results of our studies confirm the suggestion of former authors that the structure of the digestive tract of insects is not attributed solely to diet but to the basic adaptation of an ancestor