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Zupanc GKH, Homberg U, Rössler W, Warrant EJ, Arikawa K, Simmons AM, Helfrich-Förster C. Getting a glimpse into the sensory worlds of animals: the Editors' and Readers' Choice Awards 2024. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2024; 210:347-351. [PMID: 38722557 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-024-01703-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
The Editors' and Readers' Choice Awards were established in 2022 to celebrate some of the outstanding articles published every year in the Journal of Comparative Physiology A. The recipients of the 2024 Editors' Choice Awards were selected based on votes cast by the Editorial Board on articles published in 2023. In the category Original Paper, this distinction goes to 'Views from 'crabworld': the spatial distribution of light in a tropical mudflat' by Jochen Zeil (J Comp Physiol A 209:859-876, 2023); and in the category Review Article to 'Olfactory navigation in arthropods' by Theresa J. Steele and colleagues (J Comp Physiol A 209:467-488, 2023). The winners of the 2024 Readers' Choice Awards were determined by the number of online accesses of articles published in 2022. In the category Original Paper, the winner is 'Broadband 75-85 MHz radiofrequency fields disrupt magnetic compass orientation in night‑migratory songbirds consistent with a flavin‑based radical pair magnetoreceptor' by Bo Leberecht and colleagues (J Comp Physiol A 208:97-106, 2022). In the category Review Article, the winner is 'Magnetic maps in animal navigation' by Kenneth J. Lohmann and colleagues (J Comp Physiol A 208:41-67, 2022), which already won the Editors' Choice Award in 2023.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Uwe Homberg
- Department of Biology, Philipps-University of Marburg, 35032, Marburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Rössler
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Eric J Warrant
- Department of Biology, University of Lund, Lund, 22362, Sweden
| | - Kentaro Arikawa
- Research Center for Integrative Evolutionary Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Kanagawa, 240-0115, Japan
| | - Andrea Megela Simmons
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
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Hanić M, Antill LM, Gehrckens AS, Schmidt J, Görtemaker K, Bartölke R, El-Baba TJ, Xu J, Koch KW, Mouritsen H, Benesch JLP, Hore PJ, Solov'yov IA. Dimerization of European Robin Cryptochrome 4a. J Phys Chem B 2023. [PMID: 37428840 PMCID: PMC10364083 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c01305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Homo-dimer formation is important for the function of many proteins. Although dimeric forms of cryptochromes (Cry) have been found by crystallography and were recently observed in vitro for European robin Cry4a, little is known about the dimerization of avian Crys and the role it could play in the mechanism of magnetic sensing in migratory birds. Here, we present a combined experimental and computational investigation of the dimerization of robin Cry4a resulting from covalent and non-covalent interactions. Experimental studies using native mass spectrometry, mass spectrometric analysis of disulfide bonds, chemical cross-linking, and photometric measurements show that disulfide-linked dimers are routinely formed, that their formation is promoted by exposure to blue light, and that the most likely cysteines are C317 and C412. Computational modeling and molecular dynamics simulations were used to generate and assess a number of possible dimer structures. The relevance of these findings to the proposed role of Cry4a in avian magnetoreception is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maja Hanić
- Institute of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky Straße 9-11, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
| | - Lewis M Antill
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-okubo, Sakura Ward, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
- Japan Science and Technology Agency, Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| | - Angela S Gehrckens
- Department of Chemistry, Physical & Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, U.K
| | - Jessica Schmidt
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky Straße 9-11, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
| | - Katharina Görtemaker
- Department of Neuroscience, Division of Biochemistry, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg D-26111, Germany
| | - Rabea Bartölke
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky Straße 9-11, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
| | - Tarick J El-Baba
- Department of Chemistry, Physical & Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, U.K
- Kavli Institute for NanoScience Discovery, University of Oxford, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, Oxford OX1 3QU, U.K
| | - Jingjing Xu
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky Straße 9-11, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
| | - Karl-Wilhelm Koch
- Department of Neuroscience, Division of Biochemistry, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg D-26111, Germany
- Research Center for Neurosensory Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky Straße 9-11, Oldenburg 26111, Germany
| | - Henrik Mouritsen
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky Straße 9-11, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
- Research Center for Neurosensory Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky Straße 9-11, Oldenburg 26111, Germany
| | - Justin L P Benesch
- Department of Chemistry, Physical & Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, U.K
- Kavli Institute for NanoScience Discovery, University of Oxford, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, Oxford OX1 3QU, U.K
| | - P J Hore
- Department of Chemistry, Physical & Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, U.K
| | - Ilia A Solov'yov
- Institute of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky Straße 9-11, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
- Research Center for Neurosensory Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky Straße 9-11, Oldenburg 26111, Germany
- Center for Nanoscale Dynamics (CENAD), Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstr. 114-118, Oldenburg 26129, Germany
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Pophof B, Henschenmacher B, Kattnig DR, Kuhne J, Vian A, Ziegelberger G. Biological Effects of Electric, Magnetic, and Electromagnetic Fields from 0 to 100 MHz on Fauna and Flora: Workshop Report. HEALTH PHYSICS 2023; 124:39-52. [PMID: 36480584 PMCID: PMC9722389 DOI: 10.1097/hp.0000000000001624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
This report summarizes effects of anthropogenic electric, magnetic, and electromagnetic fields in the frequency range from 0 to 100 MHz on flora and fauna, as presented at an international workshop held on 5-7 November in 2019 in Munich, Germany. Such fields may originate from overhead powerlines, earth or sea cables, and from wireless charging systems. Animals and plants react differentially to anthropogenic fields; the mechanisms underlying these responses are still researched actively. Radical pairs and magnetite are discussed mechanisms of magnetoreception in insects, birds, and mammals. Moreover, several insects as well as marine species possess specialized electroreceptors, and behavioral reactions to anthropogenic fields have been reported. Plants react to experimental modifications of their magnetic environment by growth changes. Strong adverse effects of anthropogenic fields have not been described, but knowledge gaps were identified; further studies, aiming at the identification of the interaction mechanisms and the ecological consequences, are recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanka Pophof
- Competence Centre for Electromagnetic Fields, Department of Effects and Risks of Ionizing and Non-Ionizing Radiation, Federal Office for Radiation Protection, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany
| | - Bernd Henschenmacher
- Competence Centre for Electromagnetic Fields, Department of Effects and Risks of Ionizing and Non-Ionizing Radiation, Federal Office for Radiation Protection, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany
| | - Daniel R. Kattnig
- Department of Physics and Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
| | - Jens Kuhne
- Competence Centre for Electromagnetic Fields, Department of Effects and Risks of Ionizing and Non-Ionizing Radiation, Federal Office for Radiation Protection, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany
| | - Alain Vian
- Univ Angers, Institut Agro, INRAE, IRHS, SFR QUASAV, F-49000 Angers, France
| | - Gunde Ziegelberger
- Competence Centre for Electromagnetic Fields, Department of Effects and Risks of Ionizing and Non-Ionizing Radiation, Federal Office for Radiation Protection, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany
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Tiwari Y, Poonia VS. Role of chiral-induced spin selectivity in the radical pair mechanism of avian magnetoreception. Phys Rev E 2022; 106:064409. [PMID: 36671157 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.106.064409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we investigate the effect of chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) on the radical pair mechanism of avian magnetoreception. We examine the impact of spin selectivity on the avian compass sensitivity. In this analysis, we also consider the dipolar and exchange interactions and observe their interplay with CISS. We find that CISS results in a multifold increase in avian compass sensitivity. Interestingly, we also observe that CISS can counter the deleterious effect of dipolar interaction and increase system sensitivity. The analysis has been performed for the toy model (only one nucleus) and a more general case where we consider up to six nuclei from the cryptochrome radical pair system. We observe that the CISS allows the radical pair model to have more realistic recombination rates with good sensitivity. We also do an analysis of the functional window of the avian compass reported in behavioral experiments in the functional window. We could not find a parameter set where a functional window can be observed along with CISS. We also show the effect of spin relaxation on the system and show that under relaxation, CISS shows increased compass sensitivity compared to no CISS case.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yash Tiwari
- Department of Electronics and Communication, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, Uttrakhand 247667, India
| | - Vishvendra Singh Poonia
- Department of Electronics and Communication, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, Uttrakhand 247667, India
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Morphology, biochemistry and connectivity of Cluster N and the hippocampal formation in a migratory bird. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:2731-2749. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02566-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe exceptional navigational capabilities of migrating birds are based on the perception and integration of a variety of natural orientation cues. The “Wulst” in the forebrain of night-migratory songbirds contains a brain area named “Cluster N”, which is involved in processing directional navigational information derived from the Earth´s magnetic field. Cluster N is medially joined by the hippocampal formation, known to retrieve and utilise navigational information. To investigate the connectivity and neurochemical characteristics of Cluster N and the hippocampal formation of migratory birds, we performed morphological and histochemical analyses based on the expression of calbindin, calretinin, parvalbumin, glutamate receptor type 1 and early growth response protein-1 in the night-migratory Garden warbler (Sylvia borin) and mapped their mutual connections using neuronal tract tracing. The resulting expression patterns revealed regionally restricted neurochemical features, which mapped well onto the hippocampal and hyperpallial substructures known from other avian species. Magnetic field-induced neuronal activation covered caudal parts of the hyperpallium and the medially adjacent hippocampal dorsomedial/dorsolateral subdivisions. Neuronal tract tracings revealed connections between Cluster N and the hippocampal formation with the vast majority originating from the densocellular hyperpallium, either directly or indirectly via the area corticoidea dorsolateralis. Our data indicate that the densocellular hyperpallium could represent a central relay for the transmission of magnetic compass information to the hippocampal formation where it might be integrated with other navigational cues in night-migratory songbirds.
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Chetverikova R, Dautaj G, Schwigon L, Dedek K, Mouritsen H. Double cones in the avian retina form an oriented mosaic which might facilitate magnetoreception and/or polarized light sensing. J R Soc Interface 2022; 19:20210877. [PMID: 35414212 PMCID: PMC9006000 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
To navigate between breeding and wintering grounds, night-migratory songbirds are aided by a light-dependent magnetic compass sense and maybe also by polarized light vision. Although the underlying mechanisms for magnetoreception and polarized light sensing remain unclear, double cone photoreceptors in the avian retina have been suggested to represent the primary sensory cells. To use these senses, birds must be able to separate the directional information from the Earth's magnetic field and/or light polarization from variations in light intensity. Theoretical considerations suggest that this could be best achieved if neighbouring double cones were oriented in an ordered pattern. Therefore, we investigate the orientation patterns of double cones in European robins (Erithacus rubecula) and domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus). We used whole-mounted retinas labelled with double cone markers to quantify the orientations of individual double cones in relation to their nearest neighbours. In both species, our data show that the double cone array is highly ordered: the angles between neighbouring double cones were more likely to be 90°/-90° in the central retina and 180°/0° in the peripheral retina, respectively. The observed regularity in double cone orientation could aid the cells' putative function in light-dependent magnetoreception and/or polarized light sensing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raisa Chetverikova
- Animal Navigation/Neurosensorics Group, Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Glen Dautaj
- Animal Navigation/Neurosensorics Group, Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Leonard Schwigon
- Animal Navigation/Neurosensorics Group, Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Karin Dedek
- Animal Navigation/Neurosensorics Group, Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.,Research Center Neurosensory Science, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Henrik Mouritsen
- Animal Navigation/Neurosensorics Group, Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.,Research Center Neurosensory Science, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
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Putman NF. Magnetosensation. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2022; 208:1-7. [PMID: 35098367 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-021-01538-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Broadband 75-85 MHz radiofrequency fields disrupt magnetic compass orientation in night-migratory songbirds consistent with a flavin-based radical pair magnetoreceptor. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2022; 208:97-106. [PMID: 35019998 PMCID: PMC8918455 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-021-01537-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The light-dependent magnetic compass sense of night-migratory songbirds can be disrupted by weak radiofrequency fields. This finding supports a quantum mechanical, radical-pair-based mechanism of magnetoreception as observed for isolated cryptochrome 4, a protein found in birds’ retinas. The exact identity of the magnetically sensitive radicals in cryptochrome is uncertain in vivo, but their formation seems to require a bound flavin adenine dinucleotide chromophore and a chain of four tryptophan residues within the protein. Resulting from the hyperfine interactions of nuclear spins with the unpaired electrons, the sensitivity of the radicals to radiofrequency magnetic fields depends strongly on the number of magnetic nuclei (hydrogen and nitrogen atoms) they contain. Quantum-chemical calculations suggested that electromagnetic noise in the frequency range 75–85 MHz could give information about the identity of the radicals involved. Here, we show that broadband 75–85 MHz radiofrequency fields prevent a night-migratory songbird from using its magnetic compass in behavioural experiments. These results indicate that at least one of the components of the radical pair involved in the sensory process of avian magnetoreception must contain a substantial number of strong hyperfine interactions as would be the case if a flavin–tryptophan radical pair were the magnetic sensor.
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