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Laughing Dove Eye Pecten Mapped From 12–13 Pleats to Cell Markers

Laughing dove in flight at Mapungubwe National Park, South Africa
Research · Anatomy & morphology

The pecten oculi is a specialised, highly vascular structure found only in bird eyes. A study published on 9 September 2026 mapped this structure in the laughing dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) from its overall folds down to cell types, structural proteins and elemental composition. The researchers combined light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis and immunofluorescence with ten antibodies.

From 12–13 pleats to elemental differences

The pecten was the pleated type, with a basal part, 12–13 folded pleats and bridges connecting them near the apex. Its folded surfaces were lined by capillaries and the vitreopectineal limiting membrane. Between the pleats, the researchers found pigment cells and amoeboid hyalocytes, while light microscopy showed vascular channels surrounded by melanocytes and hyalocytes.

Energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis, which identifies elements present in a tissue sample, showed that the pecten was not chemically uniform. Carbon, oxygen and nitrogen dominated overall, but sodium was detected at the apex, fluorine in the middle pleats and magnesium at the base.

Antibodies mapped different cells and supporting tissues

The immunofluorescence markers added a cellular map to the anatomy. CD34 and vimentin marked endothelial cells and parts of the limiting membrane, while PDGFRα occurred in the limiting membrane and in cells associated with capillaries. Melan-A and SOX10 identified melanocytes and other pigment-associated cells around the capillaries, while CD45 marked macrophage-like cells in the interstitial tissue.

Collagen I and III and laminin mapped supporting extracellular and basement-membrane structures. Tom20 marked mitochondria within the blood capillaries, while α-SMA was present in the pleats, base, capillaries and interstitial tissue. Together, the results show that the laughing dove pecten is a highly organised structure in which blood vessels, pigment cells, immune-like cells and supporting tissues are distributed in distinct patterns. The authors present the study as an anatomical and immunophenotypic reference for future comparisons of the pecten across birds.

Sources and image credit

  1. Alsafy, M. A. M., Mohamed, H. M., El-Gendy, S. A. A., Roshdy, K., Ebrahim, H. A., Nasr, M. A., Abu-Shahba, M. S., & Rashwan, A. M. (2026). Comprehensive characterization of the pecten oculi of the laughing dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and immunofluorescence. Tissue and Cell, 104(Pt 2), 103948.Primary journal article dated 9 September 2026. PubMed primary record and full primary abstract checked. A full-text copy could not be located during review, so the Wildlife Vagabond article is limited to findings explicitly reported in the primary abstract.

Image: Laughing dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) at Mapungubwe National Park, Limpopo, South Africa, photographed 16 May 2015. Photo: Derek Keats. Source: Wikimedia Commons / Flickr. CC BY 2.0. Representative image; not an identified study bird. · CC BY 2.0 · Source

About this content: This story was produced with AI assistance within an editorial workflow developed by Wildlife Vagabond. Editorial responsibility remains with Wildlife Vagabond.How AI is used

Anatomy & morphology

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