Adaptation Of The Monitor Color Discrimination Ability Of Root Voles And Their Living Environment

Root vole(Microtus oeconomus) belongs to family Cricetidae (Cricetidae), voles (Microtinae), Microtus (Microtus),distributed in the northern hemisphere alpine steppe and tundra zone, in China, located in Gansu, Shaanxi, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Sichuan and other places, mainly live in the forest, forest steppe, alpine shrub, along the lakeshore shrub, village and farmland etc.. Root vole camp life, both day and night activities, but the night time is longer, the living environment of hypoxia, Taka Mi, long hours of sunshine, ultraviolet intensity is high, after the adaptation and evolution of long-term, the body structure, physiological function and sense organs produce adaptive changes, including, most notably the change of visual organ.The experimental application of behavioral, histologic, neuroanatomy, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry and other biological technology research on root vole retinal structure and color discrimination, aims to explore the root voles can distinguish the different wavelengths of light, and to further explore the root vole visual organ and its living environment adaptability, results show that:1, although the root vole long life in the strong ultraviolet radiation environment, but the eye structure is complete, do not appear to damage. Retinal layered clear, each layer of cell structural integrity, means the visual organ of ultraviolet on root vole does not cause harm. The ratio of root voles photoreceptor cell number and cell number is about10:1, between1:1and100:1, are both day and night activities underground rodents.2, using immunofluorescence technique, Blue-sensitive Opsin sc-14363and Opsin Red green AB-5405were labeled on the short-wave sensitive cone protein S-of Nagawa Changmin and L-cone protein. The results showed that root vole retina, there are two types of cone protein, S-protein mainly cone. Retinal cone protein S-and L-cone protein in the central area density were about111000/mm2and81500/mm2, the surrounding area were about63750/mm2and45250/mm2. Therefore, the root vole is a typical two color vision, has the ability to distinguish between the different wavelengths of light.3, using behavioral experiment method, to determine the effects of different wavelengths of light on the behavior, the results show that, the root vole can differentiate between the different wavelengths of light. In the light of environment, the root vole activity frequency and time were significantly higher than that of red and blue light stimulation group (p<0.01), behavior, agitation; in the Blu-ray, rest time was significantly higher than the exercise duration (p<0.01); the movement time under red light was significantly higher than that in the rest time (p<0.05). Description of root voles can perceive ultra-violet stimulation, increase exercise frequency and duration; the most quiet in the Blu-ray, significantly increase the resting and rest time; in red light stimulation, exercise behavior was significantly higher than that of the quiet behavior (p<0.05). Description of root voles can distinguish different wavelengths of light, in the behavior has shown a difference.4, with different wavelengths of light stimulation of root voles, observing the brain posterior cingulate cortex (Pcg), the lateral septal nucleus (Isd), paraventricular nucleus of thalamus (PV), dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (DMH) and the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH) of c-fos immune response, result display, have positive granule cells in all nuclear group. Description of root voles can receive and process the optical signal, having a photosensitive ability, and in the UV, blue and red three different wavelengths of light stimulation, the expression of c-Fos protein was significantly different, the lateral septal nucleus and posterior cingulate c-fos protein expression was the highest, the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus was lowest, in the ultraviolet stimulation, root rat brain posterior cingulate cortex, lateral septal nucleus, the paraventricular thalamic nucleus, dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus and ventromedial nuclei of the hypothalamus and other brain nuclei of c-fos protein staining was significantly higher than that of blue and red group (p<0.01), blue light stimulation of root vole brain Pcg, Isd, Pv, DMH and VMH region of c-fos protein positive particles were significantly higher than that of the red group (p<0.01). Further evidence of root voles can distinguish different wavelengths of light. In the ultraviolet stimulation in the brain, posterior cingulate cortex, lateral septal nucleus, the paraventricular thalamic nucleus, dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus and ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus, c-Fos protein expressed in root voles, that can distinguish between ultraviolet, UV vision remained.In short, Root vole’s visual organ can adapt to the living environment and life rhythm, with photosensitive ability, and can distinguish the different wavelengths of light, but the existence of ecological significance of ultraviolet vision and its living environment about still needs further study.