Fatty acid composition of Drosophila photoreceptor light-sensitive microvilli.

Phototransduction, the mechanism underlying the electrical response to light in photoreceptor cells, has been thoroughly investigated in Drosophila melanogaster, an essential model in signal transduction research. These cells present a highly specialized photosensitive membrane consisting of thousands of microvilli forming a prominent structure termed a rhabdomere. These microvilli encompass the phototransduction proteins, most of which are transmembrane and exclusively rhabdomeric.