Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27863243›Full record

ArticleCell2016

The C. elegans Taste Receptor Homolog LITE-1 Is a Photoreceptor.

Jianke Gong, Yiyuan Yuan, Alex Ward, Lijun Kang, Bi Zhang, Zhiping Wu, Junmin Peng, Zhaoyang Feng, Jianfeng Liu, X Z Shawn Xu

Erratum issuedOpen access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cell, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 47 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
47citing papers in PubMed
4.5field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

47 citing papers in PubMed, 110 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. ThebioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Non-visual light modulates behavioral memory and gene expression inbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. The effects of intense light onbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Shear stress sensing in C. elegans.Current biology : CB · 2024
    Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. AFrontiers in molecular neuroscience · 2023
    Article
  17. LITE-1 mediates behavioral responses to X-rays inFrontiers in neuroscience · 2023
    Article
  18. Microfluidic-AssistedCyborg and bionic systems (Washington, D.C.) · 2023
    Article
  19. Article
  20. High diversity of arthropod colour vision: from genes to ecology.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2022
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Jianke GongCollege of Life Science and Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, and Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of MOE, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China; Life Sciences Institute and Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Yiyuan YuanLife Sciences Institute and Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
Alex WardLife Sciences Institute and Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Lijun KangLife Sciences Institute and Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Bi ZhangCollege of Life Science and Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, and Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of MOE, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China; Life Sciences Institute and Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Zhiping WuDepartments of Structural Biology and Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
Junmin PengDepartments of Structural Biology and Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
Zhaoyang FengDepartment of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
Jianfeng LiuCollege of Life Science and Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, and Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of MOE, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China. Electronic address: jfliu@mail.hust.edu.cn.
X Z Shawn XuLife Sciences Institute and Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. Electronic address: shawnxu@umich.edu.
University of Michigan · USSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital · USCase Western Reserve University · USHuazhong University of Science and Technology · CN

Funding

VIVARIUM MODULEP30EY007003 · NEI · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI David Antonetti · 1987 to 2026
$17.6M
Vision Research Training Program - T32EY013934T32EY013934 · NEI · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI Patrice Elie Fort · 2002 to 2026
$4.2M
Neural circuits and synaptic mechanisms underlying behavior in C. elegansR01GM083241 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI XU, SHAWN · 2008 to 2017
$3.4M
Neuronal and genetic basis of photosensory behavior in C. elegansR01EY022315 · NEI · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI XU, SHAWN · 2012 to 2014
$1.1M
NEI NIH HHS P30 EY007003NEI NIH HHS R01 EY022315NEI NIH HHS T32 EY013934NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM083241
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Many animal tissues/cells are photosensitive, yet only two types of photoreceptors (i.e., opsins and cryptochromes) have been discovered in metazoans. The question arises as to whether unknown types of photoreceptors exist in the animal kingdom. LITE-1, a seven-transmembrane gustatory receptor (GR) homolog, mediates UV-light-induced avoidance behavior in C. elegans. However, it is not known whether LITE-1 functions as a chemoreceptor or photoreceptor. Here, we show that LITE-1 directly absorbs both UVA and UVB light with an extinction coefficient 10-100 times that of opsins and cryptochromes, indicating that LITE-1 is highly efficient in capturing photons. Unlike typical photoreceptors employing a prosthetic chromophore to capture photons, LITE-1 strictly depends on its protein conformation for photon absorption. We have further identified two tryptophan residues critical for LITE-1 function. Interestingly, unlike GPCRs, LITE-1 adopts a reversed membrane topology. Thus, LITE-1, a taste receptor homolog, represents a distinct type of photoreceptor in the animal kingdom.

Indexed as

AnimalsCaenorhabditis elegansCaenorhabditis elegans ProteinsMembrane ProteinsPhotonsProtein ConformationTryptophanUltraviolet RaysCaenorhabditis elegans Proteinslite-1 protein, C elegansMembrane ProteinsTryptophanchemosensationchemosensoryneuronphotopigmentphotosensationphotosensory

Identifiers

PMID27863243
PMCPMC5388352
OpenAlexW2549285505

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.