Chlorophyll derivatives enhance invertebrate red-light and ultraviolet phototaxis

Chlorophyll derivatives are known to enhance vision in vertebrates. They are thought to bind visual pigments (i.e., an opsins apoprotein bound to a retinal chromophore) directly within the retina. Consistent with previous findings in vertebrates, here we show that chlorin e6 — a chlorophyll derivative — enhances photophobicity in a flatworm (Dugesia japonica), specifically when exposed to UV radiation (λ = 405 nm) or red light (λ = 660 nm). This is the first report of chlorophyll derivatives acting as modulators of invertebrate phototaxis, and in general the first account demonstrating that they can artificially alter animal response to light at a behavioral level. Our findings show that the interaction between chlorophyll derivatives and opsins virtually concerns the vast majority of bilaterian animals, and occurs also in visual systems based on rhabdomeric (rather than ciliary) opsins.