1
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Serna JDP, Alves OC, Abreu F, Acosta-Avalos D. Magnetite in the abdomen and antennae of Apis mellifera honeybees. J Biol Phys 2024; 50:215-228. [PMID: 38727764 PMCID: PMC11106226 DOI: 10.1007/s10867-024-09656-4] [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] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The detection of magnetic fields by animals is known as magnetoreception. The ferromagnetic hypothesis explains magnetoreception assuming that magnetic nanoparticles are used as magnetic field transducers. Magnetite nanoparticles in the abdomen of Apis mellifera honeybees have been proposed in the literature as the magnetic field transducer. However, studies with ants and stingless bees have shown that the whole body of the insect contain magnetic material, and that the largest magnetization is in the antennae. The aim of the present study is to investigate the magnetization of all the body parts of honeybees as has been done with ants and stingless bees. To do that, the head without antennae, antennae, thorax, and abdomen obtained from Apis mellifera honeybees were analyzed using magnetometry and Ferromagnetic Resonance (FMR) techniques. The magnetometry and FMR measurements show the presence of magnetic material in all honeybee body parts. Our results present evidence of the presence of biomineralized magnetite nanoparticles in the honeybee abdomen and, for the first time, magnetite in the antennae. FMR measurements permit to identify the magnetite in the abdomen as biomineralized. As behavioral experiments reported in the literature have shown that the abdomen is involved in magnetoreception, new experimental approaches must be done to confirm or discard the involvement of the antennae in magnetoreception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jilder Dandy Peña Serna
- Coordenação de Física Aplicada (COMAN), Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas (CBPF), R. Xavier Sigaud, 150, Rio de Janeiro, 22290-180, Brazil
| | - Odivaldo Cambraia Alves
- Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Outeiro de São Joao Batista, Campus do Valonguinho, Centro, RJ, Niterói 24020-141, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Abreu
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Daniel Acosta-Avalos
- Coordenação de Física Aplicada (COMAN), Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas (CBPF), R. Xavier Sigaud, 150, Rio de Janeiro, 22290-180, Brazil.
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2
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Jiang C, Xu H, Yang L, Liu J, Li Y, Takei K, Xu W. Neuromorphic antennal sensory system. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2109. [PMID: 38453967 PMCID: PMC10920631 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46393-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Insect antennae facilitate the nuanced detection of vibrations and deflections, and the non-contact perception of magnetic or chemical stimuli, capabilities not found in mammalian skin. Here, we report a neuromorphic antennal sensory system that emulates the structural, functional, and neuronal characteristics of ant antennae. Our system comprises electronic antennae sensor with three-dimensional flexible structures that detects tactile and magnetic stimuli. The integration of artificial synaptic devices adsorbed with solution-processable MoS2 nanoflakes enables synaptic processing of sensory information. By emulating the architecture of receptor-neuron pathway, our system realizes hardware-level, spatiotemporal perception of tactile contact, surface pattern, and magnetic field (detection limits: 1.3 mN, 50 μm, 9.4 mT). Vibrotactile-perception tasks involving profile and texture classifications were accomplished with high accuracy (> 90%), surpassing human performance in "blind" tactile explorations. Magneto-perception tasks including magnetic navigation and touchless interaction were successfully completed. Our work represents a milestone for neuromorphic sensory systems and biomimetic perceptual intelligence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengpeng Jiang
- Institute of Photoelectronic Thin Film Devices and Technology, Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic Thin Film Devices and Technology of Tianjin, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Thin Film Photoelectronic Technology of Ministry of Education, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary Science Center, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Nankai University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Honghuan Xu
- Institute of Photoelectronic Thin Film Devices and Technology, Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic Thin Film Devices and Technology of Tianjin, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Thin Film Photoelectronic Technology of Ministry of Education, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary Science Center, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Nankai University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lu Yang
- Institute of Photoelectronic Thin Film Devices and Technology, Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic Thin Film Devices and Technology of Tianjin, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Thin Film Photoelectronic Technology of Ministry of Education, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary Science Center, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Nankai University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jiaqi Liu
- Institute of Photoelectronic Thin Film Devices and Technology, Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic Thin Film Devices and Technology of Tianjin, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Thin Film Photoelectronic Technology of Ministry of Education, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary Science Center, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Nankai University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yue Li
- Institute of Photoelectronic Thin Film Devices and Technology, Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic Thin Film Devices and Technology of Tianjin, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Thin Film Photoelectronic Technology of Ministry of Education, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary Science Center, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Nankai University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kuniharu Takei
- Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
| | - Wentao Xu
- Institute of Photoelectronic Thin Film Devices and Technology, Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic Thin Film Devices and Technology of Tianjin, College of Electronic Information and Optical Engineering, Engineering Research Center of Thin Film Photoelectronic Technology of Ministry of Education, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary Science Center, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Nankai University, Shenzhen, China.
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3
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Grob R, Müller VL, Grübel K, Rössler W, Fleischmann PN. Importance of magnetic information for neuronal plasticity in desert ants. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2320764121. [PMID: 38346192 PMCID: PMC10895258 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2320764121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Many animal species rely on the Earth's magnetic field during navigation, but where in the brain magnetic information is processed is still unknown. To unravel this, we manipulated the natural magnetic field at the nest entrance of Cataglyphis desert ants and investigated how this affects relevant brain regions during early compass calibration. We found that manipulating the Earth's magnetic field has profound effects on neuronal plasticity in two sensory integration centers. Magnetic field manipulations interfere with a typical look-back behavior during learning walks of naive ants. Most importantly, structural analyses in the ants' neuronal compass (central complex) and memory centers (mushroom bodies) demonstrate that magnetic information affects neuronal plasticity during early visual learning. This suggests that magnetic information does not only serve as a compass cue for navigation but also as a global reference system crucial for spatial memory formation. We propose a neural circuit for integration of magnetic information into visual guidance networks in the ant brain. Taken together, our results provide an insight into the neural substrate for magnetic navigation in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Grob
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7034Trondheim, Norway
- Division of Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074Würzburg, Germany
| | - Valentin L. Müller
- Division of Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074Würzburg, Germany
| | - Kornelia Grübel
- Division of Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074Würzburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Rössler
- Division of Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074Würzburg, Germany
| | - Pauline N. Fleischmann
- Division of Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074Würzburg, Germany
- Department V - School of Mathematics and Science, Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26129Oldenburg, Germany
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4
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Thill A, Cammaerts MC, Balmori A. Biological effects of electromagnetic fields on insects: a systematic review and meta-analysis. REVIEWS ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 2023; 0:reveh-2023-0072. [PMID: 37990587 DOI: 10.1515/reveh-2023-0072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Worldwide, insects are declining at an alarming rate. Among other causes, the use of pesticides and modern agricultural practices play a major role in this. Cumulative effects of multiple low-dose toxins and the distribution of toxicants in nature have only started to be investigated in a methodical way. Existing research indicates another factor of anthropogenic origin that could have subtle harmful effects: the increasingly frequent use of electromagnetic fields (EMF) from man-made technologies. This systematic review summarizes the results of studies investigating the toxicity of electromagnetic fields in insects. The main objective of this review is to weigh the evidence regarding detrimental effects on insects from the increasing technological infrastructure, with a particular focus on power lines and the cellular network. The next generation of mobile communication technologies, 5G, is being deployed - without having been tested in respect of potential toxic effects. With humanity's quest for pervasiveness of technology, even modest effects of electromagnetic fields on organisms could eventually reach a saturation level that can no longer be ignored. An overview of reported effects and biological mechanisms of exposure to electromagnetic fields, which addresses new findings in cell biology, is included. Biological effects of non-thermal EMF on insects are clearly proven in the laboratory, but only partly in the field, thus the wider ecological implications are still unknown. There is a need for more field studies, but extrapolating from the laboratory, as is common practice in ecotoxicology, already warrants increasing the threat level of environmental EMF impact on insects.
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5
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Merlin C. Insect magnetoreception: a Cry for mechanistic insights. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2023; 209:785-792. [PMID: 37184693 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-023-01636-8] [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] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Migratory animals can detect and use the Earth's magnetic field for orientation and navigation, sometimes over distances spanning thousands of kilometers. How they do so remains, however, one of the greatest mysteries in all sensory biology. Here, the author reviews the progress made to understand the molecular bases of the animal magnetic sense focusing on insect species, the only species in which genetic studies have so far been possible. The central hypothesis in the field posits that magnetically sensitive radical pairs formed by photoexcitation of cryptochrome proteins are key to animal magnetoreception. The author provides an overview of our current state of knowledge for the involvement of insect light-sensitive type I and light-insensitive type II cryptochromes in this enigmatic sense, and highlights some of the unanswered questions to gain a comprehensive understanding of magnetoreception at the organismal level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Merlin
- Center for Biological Clock Research and Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77845, USA.
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6
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Rössler W, Grob R, Fleischmann PN. The role of learning-walk related multisensory experience in rewiring visual circuits in the desert ant brain. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2022:10.1007/s00359-022-01600-y. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-022-01600-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
AbstractEfficient spatial orientation in the natural environment is crucial for the survival of most animal species. Cataglyphis desert ants possess excellent navigational skills. After far-ranging foraging excursions, the ants return to their inconspicuous nest entrance using celestial and panoramic cues. This review focuses on the question about how naïve ants acquire the necessary spatial information and adjust their visual compass systems. Naïve ants perform structured learning walks during their transition from the dark nest interior to foraging under bright sunlight. During initial learning walks, the ants perform rotational movements with nest-directed views using the earth’s magnetic field as an earthbound compass reference. Experimental manipulations demonstrate that specific sky compass cues trigger structural neuronal plasticity in visual circuits to integration centers in the central complex and mushroom bodies. During learning walks, rotation of the sky-polarization pattern is required for an increase in volume and synaptic complexes in both integration centers. In contrast, passive light exposure triggers light-spectrum (especially UV light) dependent changes in synaptic complexes upstream of the central complex. We discuss a multisensory circuit model in the ant brain for pathways mediating structural neuroplasticity at different levels following passive light exposure and multisensory experience during the performance of learning walks.
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7
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Levitt BB, Lai HC, Manville AM. Effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic fields on flora and fauna, Part 2 impacts: how species interact with natural and man-made EMF. REVIEWS ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 2022; 37:327-406. [PMID: 34243228 DOI: 10.1515/reveh-2021-0050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Ambient levels of nonionizing electromagnetic fields (EMF) have risen sharply in the last five decades to become a ubiquitous, continuous, biologically active environmental pollutant, even in rural and remote areas. Many species of flora and fauna, because of unique physiologies and habitats, are sensitive to exogenous EMF in ways that surpass human reactivity. This can lead to complex endogenous reactions that are highly variable, largely unseen, and a possible contributing factor in species extinctions, sometimes localized. Non-human magnetoreception mechanisms are explored. Numerous studies across all frequencies and taxa indicate that current low-level anthropogenic EMF can have myriad adverse and synergistic effects, including on orientation and migration, food finding, reproduction, mating, nest and den building, territorial maintenance and defense, and on vitality, longevity and survivorship itself. Effects have been observed in mammals such as bats, cervids, cetaceans, and pinnipeds among others, and on birds, insects, amphibians, reptiles, microbes and many species of flora. Cyto- and geno-toxic effects have long been observed in laboratory research on animal models that can be extrapolated to wildlife. Unusual multi-system mechanisms can come into play with non-human species - including in aquatic environments - that rely on the Earth's natural geomagnetic fields for critical life-sustaining information. Part 2 of this 3-part series includes four online supplement tables of effects seen in animals from both ELF and RFR at vanishingly low intensities. Taken as a whole, this indicates enough information to raise concerns about ambient exposures to nonionizing radiation at ecosystem levels. Wildlife loss is often unseen and undocumented until tipping points are reached. It is time to recognize ambient EMF as a novel form of pollution and develop rules at regulatory agencies that designate air as 'habitat' so EMF can be regulated like other pollutants. Long-term chronic low-level EMF exposure standards, which do not now exist, should be set accordingly for wildlife, and environmental laws should be strictly enforced - a subject explored in Part 3.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Henry C Lai
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Albert M Manville
- Advanced Academic Programs, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Environmental Sciences and Policy, Johns Hopkins University, Washington DC Campus, USA
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8
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Gorobets S, Gorobets O, Gorobets Y, Bulaievska M. Chain-Like Structures of Biogenic and Nonbiogenic Magnetic Nanoparticles in Vascular Tissues. Bioelectromagnetics 2022; 43:119-143. [PMID: 35077582 DOI: 10.1002/bem.22390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, slices of organs from various organisms (animals, plants, fungi) were investigated by using atomic force microscopy and magnetic force microscopy to identify common features of localization of both biogenic and nonbiogenic magnetic nanoparticles. It was revealed that both biogenic and nonbiogenic magnetic nanoparticles are localized in the form of chains of separate nanoparticles or chains of conglomerates of nanoparticles in the walls of the capillaries of animals and the walls of the conducting tissue of plants and fungi. Both biogenic and nonbiogenic magnetic nanoparticles are embedded as a part of the transport system in multicellular organisms. In connection with this, a new idea of the function of biogenic magnetic nanoparticles is discussed, that the chains of biogenic magnetic nanoparticles and chains of conglomerates of biogenic magnetic nanoparticles represent ferrimagnetic organelles of a specific purpose. Besides, magnetic dipole-dipole interaction of biogenic magnetic nanoparticles with magnetically labeled drugs or contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging should be considered when designing the drug delivery and other medical systems because biogenic magnetic nanoparticles in capillary walls will serve as the trapping centers for the artificial magnetic nanoparticles. The aggregates of both artificial and biogenic magnetic nanoparticles can be formed, contributing to the risk of vascular occlusion. Bioelectromagnetics. 43:119-143, 2022. © 2021 Bioelectromagnetics Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svitlana Gorobets
- National Technical University of Ukraine "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute", Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Oksana Gorobets
- National Technical University of Ukraine "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute", Kyiv, Ukraine.,Institute of Magnetism NAS of Ukraine and MES of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Yuri Gorobets
- National Technical University of Ukraine "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute", Kyiv, Ukraine.,Institute of Magnetism NAS of Ukraine and MES of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Maryna Bulaievska
- National Technical University of Ukraine "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute", Kyiv, Ukraine
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9
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Hunt RD, Ashbaugh RC, Reimers M, Udpa L, Saldana De Jimenez G, Moore M, Gilad AA, Pelled G. Swimming direction of the glass catfish is responsive to magnetic stimulation. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0248141. [PMID: 33667278 PMCID: PMC7935302 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Several marine species have developed a magnetic perception that is essential for navigation and detection of prey and predators. One of these species is the transparent glass catfish that contains an ampullary organ dedicated to sense magnetic fields. Here we examine the behavior of the glass catfish in response to static magnetic fields which will provide valuable insight on function of this magnetic response. By utilizing state of the art animal tracking software and artificial intelligence approaches, we quantified the effects of magnetic fields on the swimming direction of glass catfish. The results demonstrate that glass catfish placed in a radial arm maze, consistently swim away from magnetic fields over 20 μT and show adaptability to changing magnetic field direction and location.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan D. Hunt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- Neuroengineering Division, Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Ryan C. Ashbaugh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- Neuroengineering Division, Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Mark Reimers
- Neuroengineering Division, Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Lalita Udpa
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Gabriela Saldana De Jimenez
- Neuroengineering Division, Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Michael Moore
- Neuroengineering Division, Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Assaf A. Gilad
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- Synthetic Biology Division, Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Galit Pelled
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- Neuroengineering Division, Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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10
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Grob R, Tritscher C, Grübel K, Stigloher C, Groh C, Fleischmann PN, Rössler W. Johnston's organ and its central projections in
Cataglyphis
desert ants. J Comp Neurol 2020; 529:2138-2155. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.25077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robin Grob
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter University of Würzburg Würzburg Germany
| | - Clara Tritscher
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter University of Würzburg Würzburg Germany
| | - Kornelia Grübel
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter University of Würzburg Würzburg Germany
| | | | - Claudia Groh
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter University of Würzburg Würzburg Germany
| | - Pauline N. Fleischmann
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter University of Würzburg Würzburg Germany
| | - Wolfgang Rössler
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biocenter University of Würzburg Würzburg Germany
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11
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Fleischmann PN, Grob R, Rössler W. Magnetoreception in Hymenoptera: importance for navigation. Anim Cogn 2020; 23:1051-1061. [PMID: 32975654 PMCID: PMC7700068 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-020-01431-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The use of information provided by the geomagnetic field (GMF) for navigation is widespread across the animal kingdom. At the same time, the magnetic sense is one of the least understood senses. Here, we review evidence for magnetoreception in Hymenoptera. We focus on experiments aiming to shed light on the role of the GMF for navigation. Both honeybees and desert ants are well-studied experimental models for navigation, and both use the GMF for specific navigational tasks under certain conditions. Cataglyphis desert ants use the GMF as a compass cue for path integration during their initial learning walks to align their gaze directions towards the nest entrance. This represents the first example for the use of the GMF in an insect species for a genuine navigational task under natural conditions and with all other navigational cues available. We argue that the recently described magnetic compass in Cataglyphis opens up a new integrative approach to understand the mechanisms underlying magnetoreception in Hymenoptera on different biological levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline N Fleischmann
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Robin Grob
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Rössler
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology (Zoology II), Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
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12
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Abstract
Nanomaterials have become increasingly important in medicine, manufacturing, and consumer products. A fundamental understanding of the effects of nanoparticles (NPs) and their interactions with biomolecules and organismal systems has yet to be achieved. In this chapter, we firstly provide a brief review of the interactions between nanoparticles and biological systems. We then provide an example by describing a novel method to assess the effects of NPs on biological systems, using insects as a model. Nanoparticles were injected into the central nervous system of the discoid cockroach (Blaberus discoidalis). It was found that insects became hyperactive compared to negative control (water injections). Our method could provide a generic method of assessing nanoparticles toxicity.
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13
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Wiegmann DD, Casto P, Hebets EA, Bingman VP. Distortion of the local magnetic field appears to neither disrupt nocturnal navigation nor cue shelter recognition in the amblypygidParaphrynus laevifrons. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel D. Wiegmann
- Department of Biological Sciences Bowling Green State University Bowling Green OH USA
- J. P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior Bowling Green State University Bowling Green OH USA
| | - Patrick Casto
- Department of Biological Sciences Bowling Green State University Bowling Green OH USA
| | - Eileen A. Hebets
- School of Biological Sciences University of Nebraska‐Lincoln Lincoln NE USA
| | - Verner P. Bingman
- J. P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior Bowling Green State University Bowling Green OH USA
- Department of Psychology Bowling Green State University Bowling Green OH USA
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14
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Pereira MC, Guimarães IDC, Acosta-Avalos D, Antonialli Junior WF. Can altered magnetic field affect the foraging behaviour of ants? PLoS One 2019; 14:e0225507. [PMID: 31765398 PMCID: PMC6876837 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Social insects such as ants can use geomagnetic field information in orientation and navigation tasks. However, few studies have assessed the effect of magnetic fields on aspects such as orientation and decision making during foraging of ants. Therefore, the present study aims to test the hypothesis that foragers of different species of ants with different foraging strategies when under effect of applied magnetic field change the patterns of search for resources and recruitment of ants. We used two species with solitary foraging strategy, Ectatomma brunneum and Neoponera inversa, and another with mass recruitment, Pheidole sp. The experiments were performed in field and laboratory conditions. We used some parameters for comparison such as speed, distance and time during foraging in the field and laboratory experiments, under normal and applied magnetic field with the coils on and off. We also performed SQUID magnetometry analysis for all species. The results demonstrate that changes in normal values of magnetic field affect workers behaviour of the three species. Thus, we can conclude that ants under the effect of applied magnetic fields can suffer significant changes in their foraging activities decreasing the flow of workers, increasing the travelled distance from the nest to the resource and back to the nest, in addition to time and distance to fetch the resource and decision-making, in both types of species, those which have mass recruitment, or forage individually, and that the three species are magnetosensitive, being affected by changes of low intensity in the local magnetic field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Márlon César Pereira
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Entomologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental, Center of Studies on Natural Resources, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Ingrid de Carvalho Guimarães
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental, Center of Studies on Natural Resources, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
- * E-mail:
| | | | - William Fernando Antonialli Junior
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Entomologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental, Center of Studies on Natural Resources, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Recursos Naturais, Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
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15
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Bell AM, Robinson JT. The rotating magnetocaloric effect as a potential mechanism for natural magnetic senses. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0222401. [PMID: 31574085 PMCID: PMC6773214 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals are able to sense the earth’s magnetic field, including varieties of arthropods and members of all major vertebrate groups. While the existence of this magnetic sense is widely accepted, the mechanism of action remains unknown. Building from recent work on synthetic magnetoreceptors, we propose a new model for natural magnetosensation based on the rotating magnetocaloric effect (RME), which predicts that heat generated by magnetic nanoparticles may allow animals to detect features of the earth’s magnetic field. Using this model, we identify the conditions for the RME to produce physiological signals in response to the earth’s magnetic field and suggest experiments to distinguish between candidate mechanisms of magnetoreception.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Martin Bell
- Applied Physics Program, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jacob T. Robinson
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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16
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PRODUCTION OF MAGNETICALLY CONTROLLED BIOSORBENTS BASED ON FUNGI Agaricus bisporus AND Lentinula edodes. BIOTECHNOLOGIA ACTA 2019. [DOI: 10.15407/biotech12.05.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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17
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Esquivel DMS, Wajnberg E, de Menezes E Souza LC, Acosta-Avalos D, Pinho MB, Harada AY. Magnetic material diversity in Brazilian ants: displacement behaviour and environmental adaptability. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL: EBJ 2019; 48:161-171. [PMID: 30607446 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-018-1343-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
How geomagnetic field information is collected and processed by insects for orientation and navigation remains elusive. In social insects, magnetic particles are well accepted as magnetic sensors. Ants have the ability to home and hunt, and some migratory and nomadic species can migrate or move over long distances for which magnetoreception is an important mechanism. It was shown previously that ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectral parameters of one migratory and one nomadic ant could be distinguished from Brazilian Solenopsis ant species and that these parameters correlate to the local geomagnetic field. The present work focuses on genera engaged in long-distance group raids and emigration collected mainly in the Amazon rainforest. A diversity of specimens of the genus was individually measured by FMR. Cluster analysis of the occurrence of the FMR Low Field component, associated with large or aggregated nanoparticles, and their spectral angular dependence resulted in a phylogenetic dendrogram of the genera of ants, principally from the North Brazilian region. The magnetic material characteristics of ants of the Invertebrate Collection from the Museum Paraense Emilio Goeldi were tested looking for their relation to ant genera and the local geomagnetic field. The observed spectral differences of the magnetic particles suggest that they are related to their capacity for adaptation to their environment and/or to displacement behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darci M S Esquivel
- Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas, Rua Xavier Sigaud 150, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 22290-180, Brazil
| | - Eliane Wajnberg
- Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas, Rua Xavier Sigaud 150, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 22290-180, Brazil.
| | | | - Daniel Acosta-Avalos
- Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas, Rua Xavier Sigaud 150, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 22290-180, Brazil
| | - Márcia Barbosa Pinho
- Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas, Rua Xavier Sigaud 150, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 22290-180, Brazil
| | - Ana Yoshi Harada
- Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Av. Governador Magalhães Barata 376, Belém, PA, 66040-170, Brazil
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18
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Gorobets S, Gorobets O, Kovalchuk I, Yevzhyk L. Determination of Potential Producers of Biogenic Magnetic Nanoparticles Among the Fungi Representatives of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota Divisions. INNOVATIVE BIOSYSTEMS AND BIOENGINEERING 2018. [DOI: 10.20535/ibb.2018.2.4.147310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
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19
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Detection of biogenic magnetic nanoparticles in ethmoid bones of migratory and non-migratory fishes. SN APPLIED SCIENCES 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s42452-018-0072-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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20
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Comparison of the antennal sensilla of females of four fig-wasps associated with Ficus auriculata. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2017.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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21
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Ferritin from the haemolymph of adult ants: an extraction method for characterization and a ferromagnetic study. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL: EBJ 2018; 47:641-653. [DOI: 10.1007/s00249-018-1293-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Revised: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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22
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Biogenic magnetic nanoparticles in human organs and tissues. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 135:49-57. [PMID: 29397185 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2018.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2017] [Revised: 01/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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23
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Lambinet V, Hayden ME, Reigl K, Gomis S, Gries G. Linking magnetite in the abdomen of honey bees to a magnetoreceptive function. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2016.2873. [PMID: 28330921 PMCID: PMC5378088 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies of magnetoreception in honey bees, Apis mellifera, focused on the identification of magnetic material, its formation, the location of the receptor and potential underlying sensory mechanisms, but never directly linked magnetic material to a magnetoreceptive function. In our study, we demonstrate that ferromagnetic material consistent with magnetite plays an integral role in the bees' magnetoreceptor. Subjecting lyophilized and pelletized bee tagmata to analyses by a superconducting quantum interference device generated a distinct hysteresis loop for the abdomen but not for the thorax or the head of bees, indicating the presence of ferromagnetic material in the bee abdomen. Magnetic remanence of abdomen pellets produced from bees that were, or were not, exposed to the 2.2-kOe field of a magnet while alive differed, indicating that magnet exposure altered the magnetization of this magnetite in live bees. In behavioural two-choice field experiments, bees briefly exposed to the same magnet, but not sham-treated control bees, failed to sense a custom-generated magnetic anomaly, indicating that magnet exposure had rendered the bees' magnetoreceptor dysfunctional. Our data support the conclusion that honey bees possess a magnetite-based magnetoreceptor located in the abdomen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Lambinet
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael E Hayden
- Department of Physics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Katharina Reigl
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Surath Gomis
- Department of Physics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Gerhard Gries
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
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24
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Heredia A, Colín-García M, Puig TPI, Alba-Aldave L, Meléndez A, Cruz-Castañeda JA, Basiuk VA, Ramos-Bernal S, Mendoza AN. Computer simulation and experimental self-assembly of irradiated glycine amino acid under magnetic fields: Its possible significance in prebiotic chemistry. Biosystems 2017; 162:66-74. [PMID: 28851657 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2017.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Revised: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Ionizing radiation may have played a relevant role in chemical reactions for prebiotic biomolecule formation on ancient Earth. Environmental conditions such as the presence of water and magnetic fields were possibly relevant in the formation of organic compounds such as amino acids. ATR-FTIR, Raman, EPR and X-ray spectroscopies provide valuable information about molecular organization of different glycine polymorphs under static magnetic fields. γ-glycine polymorph formation increases in irradiated samples interacting with static magnetic fields. The increase in γ-glycine polymorph agrees with the computer simulations. The AM1 semi-empirical simulations show a change in the catalyst behavior and dipole moment values in α and γ-glycine interaction with the static magnetic field. The simulated crystal lattice energy in α-glycine is also affected by the free radicals under the magnetic field, which decreases its stability. Therefore, solid α and γ-glycine containing free radicals under static magnetic fields might have affected the prebiotic scenario on ancient Earth by causing the oligomerization of glycine in prebiotic reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Heredia
- Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Circuito Exterior S/N, Coyoacán, C.P. 04510 Ciudad de México, D.F, Mexico.
| | - María Colín-García
- Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Geología, Ciudad Universitaria, Circuito Exterior S/N, Coyoacán, C.P. 04510 Ciudad de México, D.F, Mexico
| | - Teresa Pi I Puig
- Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Geología, Ciudad Universitaria, Circuito Exterior S/N, Coyoacán, C.P. 04510 Ciudad de México, D.F, Mexico
| | - Leticia Alba-Aldave
- Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Geología, Ciudad Universitaria, Circuito Exterior S/N, Coyoacán, C.P. 04510 Ciudad de México, D.F, Mexico
| | - Adriana Meléndez
- Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Circuito Exterior S/N, Coyoacán, C.P. 04510 Ciudad de México, D.F, Mexico; Posgrado en Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - Jorge A Cruz-Castañeda
- Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Circuito Exterior S/N, Coyoacán, C.P. 04510 Ciudad de México, D.F, Mexico; Posgrado en Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - Vladimir A Basiuk
- Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Circuito Exterior S/N, Coyoacán, C.P. 04510 Ciudad de México, D.F, Mexico
| | - Sergio Ramos-Bernal
- Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Circuito Exterior S/N, Coyoacán, C.P. 04510 Ciudad de México, D.F, Mexico
| | - Alicia Negrón Mendoza
- Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Circuito Exterior S/N, Coyoacán, C.P. 04510 Ciudad de México, D.F, Mexico
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25
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Oliveira DS, Brito NF, Nogueira FCS, Moreira MF, Leal WS, Soares MR, Melo ACA. Proteomic analysis of the kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus antenna. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 100:108-118. [PMID: 28606853 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2017.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Revised: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Reception of odorants is essential in insects' life since the chemical signals in the environment (=semiochemicals) convey information about availability of hosts for a blood meal, mates for reproduction, sites for oviposition and other relevant information for fitness in the environment. Once they reach the antennae, these semiochemicals bind to odorant-binding proteins and are transported through the sensillar lymph until reach the odorant receptors. Such perireceptor events, particularly the interactions with transport proteins, are the liaison between the external environment and the entire neuroethological system and, therefore, a potential target to disrupt insect chemical communication. In this study, a proteomic profile of female and male antennae of Rhodnius prolixus, a vector of Chagas disease, was obtained in an attempt to unravel the entire repertoire of olfactory proteins involved in perireceptor events. Using shotgun proteomics and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis approaches followed by nano liquid chromatography coupled with tandem LTQ Velos Orbitrap mass spectrometry, we have identified 581 unique proteins. Putative olfactory proteins, including 17 odorant binding proteins, 6 chemosensory proteins, 2 odorant receptors, 3 transient receptor channels and 1 gustatory receptor were identified. Proteins involved in general cellular functions such as generation of precursor metabolites, energy generation and catabolism were expressed at high levels. Additionally, proteins that take part in signal transduction, ion binding, and stress response, kinase and oxidoreductase activity were frequent in antennae from both sexes. This proteome strategy unraveled for the first time the complex nature of perireceptor and other olfactory events that occur in R. prolixus antennae, including evidence for phosphorylation of odorant-binding and chemosensory proteins. These findings not only increase our understanding of the olfactory process in triatomine species, but also identify potential molecular targets to be explored for population control of such insect vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele S Oliveira
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Química, 21941-909 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Nathalia F Brito
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Química, 21941-909 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Fabio C S Nogueira
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Química, 21941-909 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Monica F Moreira
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Química, 21941-909 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Walter S Leal
- University of California-Davis, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, 95616 Davis, CA, USA
| | - Marcia R Soares
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Química, 21941-909 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ana C A Melo
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Química, 21941-909 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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26
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Wajnberg E, Rossi AL, Esquivel DMS. Titanium and iron titanium oxide nanoparticles in antennae of the migratory ant Pachycondyla marginata: an alternative magnetic sensor for magnetoreception? Biometals 2017; 30:541-548. [PMID: 28608290 DOI: 10.1007/s10534-017-0024-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The most accepted hypothesis of magnetoreception for social insects is the ferromagnetic hypothesis which assumes the presence of magnetic material as a sensor coupled to sensitive structures that transmit the geomagnetic field information to the nervous system. As magnetite is the most common magnetic material observed in living beings, it has been suggested as basic constituent of the magnetoreception system. Antennae and head have been pointed as possible magnetosensor organs in social insects as ants, bees and termites. Samples of three antenna joints: head-scape, scape-pedicel and pedicel-third segment joints were embedded in epoxi resin, ultrathin sectioned and analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. Selected area electron diffraction patterns and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy were obtained to identify the nanoparticle compound. Besides iron oxides, for the first time, nanoparticles containing titanium have been identified surrounded by tissue in the antennae of ants. Given their dimension and related magnetic characteristics, these nanoparticles are discussed as being part of the magnetosensor system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliane Wajnberg
- Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas, R Xavier Sigaud 150, Rio de Janeiro, 22290-180, Brazil.
| | - André Linhares Rossi
- Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas, R Xavier Sigaud 150, Rio de Janeiro, 22290-180, Brazil
| | - Darci Motta S Esquivel
- Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas, R Xavier Sigaud 150, Rio de Janeiro, 22290-180, Brazil
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27
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Gorobets O, Gorobets S, Koralewski M. Physiological origin of biogenic magnetic nanoparticles in health and disease: from bacteria to humans. Int J Nanomedicine 2017; 12:4371-4395. [PMID: 28652739 PMCID: PMC5476634 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s130565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of biogenic magnetic nanoparticles (BMNPs) in the human brain gives a strong impulse to study and understand their origin. Although knowledge of the subject is increasing continuously, much remains to be done for further development to help our society fight a number of pathologies related to BMNPs. This review provides an insight into the puzzle of the physiological origin of BMNPs in organisms of all three domains of life: prokaryotes, archaea, and eukaryotes, including humans. Predictions based on comparative genomic studies are presented along with experimental data obtained by physical methods. State-of-the-art understanding of the genetic control of biomineralization of BMNPs and their properties are discussed in detail. We present data on the differences in BMNP levels in health and disease (cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and atherosclerosis), and discuss the existing hypotheses on the biological functions of BMNPs, with special attention paid to the role of the ferritin core and apoferritin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oksana Gorobets
- National Technical University of Ukraine (Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute)
- Institute of Magnetism, National Academy of Sciences, Kiev, Ukraine
| | - Svitlana Gorobets
- National Technical University of Ukraine (Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute)
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28
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Wyszkowska J, Shepherd S, Sharkh S, Jackson CW, Newland PL. Exposure to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields alters the behaviour, physiology and stress protein levels of desert locusts. Sci Rep 2016; 6:36413. [PMID: 27808167 PMCID: PMC5093409 DOI: 10.1038/srep36413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 10/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are present throughout the modern world and are derived from many man-made sources including overhead transmission lines. The risks of extremely-low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields are particularly poorly understood especially at high field strengths as they are rarely encountered at ground level. Flying insects, however, can approach close to high field strength transmission lines prompting the question as to how these high levels of exposure affect behaviour and physiology. Here we utilise the accessible nervous system of the locust to ask how exposure to high levels of ELF EMF impact at multiple levels. We show that exposure to ELF EMFs above 4 mT leads to reduced walking. Moreover, intracellular recordings from an identified motor neuron, the fast extensor tibiae motor neuron, show increased spike latency and a broadening of its spike in exposed animals. In addition, hind leg kick force, produced by stimulating the extensor tibiae muscle, was reduced following exposure, while stress-protein levels (Hsp70) increased. Together these results suggest that ELF EMF exposure has the capacity to cause dramatic effects from behaviour to physiology and protein expression, and this study lays the foundation to explore the ecological significance of these effects in other flying insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Wyszkowska
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland
| | | | - Suleiman Sharkh
- Engineering Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | | | - Philip L Newland
- Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton
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29
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Magnetic Sensing through the Abdomen of the Honey bee. Sci Rep 2016; 6:23657. [PMID: 27005398 PMCID: PMC4804335 DOI: 10.1038/srep23657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Honey bees have the ability to detect the Earth’s magnetic field, and the suspected magnetoreceptors are the iron granules in the abdomens of the bees. To identify the sensing route of honey bee magnetoreception, we conducted a classical conditioning experiment in which the responses of the proboscis extension reflex (PER) were monitored. Honey bees were successfully trained to associate the magnetic stimulus with a sucrose reward after two days of training. When the neural connection of the ventral nerve cord (VNC) between the abdomen and the thorax was cut, the honey bees no longer associated the magnetic stimulus with the sucrose reward but still responded to an olfactory PER task. The neural responses elicited in response to the change of magnetic field were also recorded at the VNC. Our results suggest that the honey bee is a new model animal for the investigation of magnetite-based magnetoreception.
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30
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Shaw J, Boyd A, House M, Woodward R, Mathes F, Cowin G, Saunders M, Baer B. Magnetic particle-mediated magnetoreception. J R Soc Interface 2015; 12:0499. [PMID: 26333810 PMCID: PMC4614459 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2015.0499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2015] [Accepted: 08/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioural studies underpin the weight of experimental evidence for the existence of a magnetic sense in animals. In contrast, studies aimed at understanding the mechanistic basis of magnetoreception by determining the anatomical location, structure and function of sensory cells have been inconclusive. In this review, studies attempting to demonstrate the existence of a magnetoreceptor based on the principles of the magnetite hypothesis are examined. Specific attention is given to the range of techniques, and main animal model systems that have been used in the search for magnetite particulates. Anatomical location/cell rarity and composition are identified as two key obstacles that must be addressed in order to make progress in locating and characterizing a magnetite-based magnetoreceptor cell. Avenues for further study are suggested, including the need for novel experimental, correlative, multimodal and multidisciplinary approaches. The aim of this review is to inspire new efforts towards understanding the cellular basis of magnetoreception in animals, which will in turn inform a new era of behavioural research based on first principles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Shaw
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Alastair Boyd
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Michael House
- School of Physics, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Robert Woodward
- School of Physics, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Falko Mathes
- School of Earth and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Gary Cowin
- Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Martin Saunders
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Boris Baer
- Centre for Integrative Bee Research (CIBER), The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
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31
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Jandacka P, Kasparova B, Jiraskova Y, Dedkova K, Mamulova-Kutlakova K, Kukutschova J. Iron-based granules in body of bumblebees. Biometals 2014; 28:89-99. [DOI: 10.1007/s10534-014-9805-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2014] [Accepted: 10/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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32
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Fedele G, Green EW, Rosato E, Kyriacou CP. An electromagnetic field disrupts negative geotaxis in Drosophila via a CRY-dependent pathway. Nat Commun 2014; 5:4391. [PMID: 25019586 PMCID: PMC4104433 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2014] [Accepted: 06/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Many higher animals have evolved the ability to use the Earth’s magnetic field, particularly for orientation. Drosophila melanogaster also respond to electromagnetic fields (EMFs), although the reported effects are quite modest. Here we report that negative geotaxis in flies, scored as climbing, is disrupted by a static EMF, and this is mediated by cryptochrome (CRY), the blue-light circadian photoreceptor. CRYs may sense EMFs via formation of radical pairs of electrons requiring photoactivation of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) bound near a triad of Trp residues, but mutation of the terminal Trp in the triad maintains EMF responsiveness in climbing. In contrast, deletion of the CRY C terminus disrupts EMF responses, indicating that it plays an important signalling role. CRY expression in a subset of clock neurons, or the photoreceptors, or the antennae, is sufficient to mediate negative geotaxis and EMF sensitivity. Climbing therefore provides a robust and reliable phenotype for studying EMF responses in Drosophila. The earth’s electromagnetic field has a modest effect on the behaviour of Drosophila melanogaster. Here, Fedele et al. use an assessment of climbing behaviour to describe how the blue-light circadian photoreceptor cryptochrome mediates a negative movement response to gravity in flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgio Fedele
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Edward W Green
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Ezio Rosato
- Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
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GeoBioScience: Red Wood Ants as Bioindicators for Active Tectonic Fault Systems in the West Eifel (Germany). Animals (Basel) 2013; 3:475-98. [PMID: 26487413 PMCID: PMC4494391 DOI: 10.3390/ani3020475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2013] [Revised: 04/26/2013] [Accepted: 05/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In a 1.140 km² study area of the volcanic West Eifel, approx. 3,000 Red Wood Ant (RWA; Formica rufa-group) mounds had been identified and correlated with tectonically active gas-permeable faults, mostly strike-slip faults. Linear alignment of RWA mounds and soil gas anomalies distinctly indicate the course of these faults, while clusters of mounds indicate crosscut zones of fault systems, which can be correlated with voids caused by crustal block rotation. This demonstrates that RWA are bioindicators for identifying active fault systems and useful where information on the active regime is incomplete or the resolution by technical means is insufficient. Abstract In a 1.140 km² study area of the volcanic West Eifel, a comprehensive investigation established the correlation between red wood ant mound (RWA; Formica rufa-group) sites and active tectonic faults. The current stress field with a NW-SE-trending main stress direction opens pathways for geogenic gases and potential magmas following the same orientation. At the same time, Variscan and Mesozoic fault zones are reactivated. The results showed linear alignments and clusters of approx. 3,000 RWA mounds. While linear mound distribution correlate with strike-slip fault systems documented by quartz and ore veins and fault planes with slickensides, the clusters represent crosscut zones of dominant fault systems. Latter can be correlated with voids caused by crustal block rotation. Gas analyses from soil air, mineral springs and mofettes (CO2, Helium, Radon and H2S) reveal limiting concentrations for the spatial distribution of mounds and colonization. Striking is further the almost complete absence of RWA mounds in the core area of the Quaternary volcanic field. A possible cause can be found in occasionally occurring H2S in the fault systems, which is toxic at miniscule concentrations to the ants. Viewed overall, there is a strong relationship between RWA mounds and active tectonics in the West Eifel.
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Giraldo D, Hernández C, Molina J. In search of magnetosensitivity and ferromagnetic particles in Rhodnius prolixus: behavioral studies and vibrating sample magnetometry. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 59:345-350. [PMID: 23291498 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2012.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2012] [Revised: 12/24/2012] [Accepted: 12/27/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Magnetoreception is a sensory mechanism with wide phylogenetic distribution, which many organisms use for navigation and orientation. Radical pair reactions and the use of magnetic particles have been proposed as mechanisms for magnetosensitivity in terrestrial animals. Magnetosensitivity and the presence of a ferromagnetic material were tested in the hematophagous bug Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) vector of Chagas disease in Colombia and Venezuela. R. prolixus is well known in both countries for its active dispersal that allows flow of individuals from sylvatic to domestic environments. Behavioral experiments quantifying the number of body rotations and quadrant changes in a Petri dish were carried out, applying 1 mT artificial field in a constant direction for 45 min and rotated 180° every 5 min for 45 min. In addition, magnetite presence in the abdomens of Apis mellifera (positive control) and the bodies of R. prolixus was tested using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). No differences in the number of body rotations and quadrant changes were found in R. prolixus with and without the presence of an artificial magnetic field. Results obtained with the VSM indicate presence of ferromagnetic material (hysteresis loop) in A. mellifera abdomens and absence of ferromagnetic material in R. prolixus bodies. Both VSM and behavioral results suggest that magnetosensitivity by a ferromagnetic hypothesis is not present in R. prolixus. Finally, our results indicate that the VSM magnetometer is a sensitive technique for detecting ferromagnetic material in insect tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Giraldo
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Tropical, Universidad de los Andes, A.A. 4976 Carrera 1a # 18A-10, Bogotá, Colombia
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Berberich G, Berberich M, Grumpe A, Wöhler C, Schreiber U. Early Results of Three-Year Monitoring of Red Wood Ants' Behavioral Changes and Their Possible Correlation with Earthquake Events. Animals (Basel) 2013; 3:63-84. [PMID: 26487310 PMCID: PMC4495521 DOI: 10.3390/ani3010063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2012] [Revised: 01/25/2013] [Accepted: 01/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Short-term earthquake predictions with an advance warning of several hours or days are currently not possible due to both incomplete understanding of the complex tectonic processes and inadequate observations. Abnormal animal behaviors before earthquakes have been reported previously, but create problems in monitoring and reliability. The situation is different with red wood ants (RWA; Formica rufa-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)). They have stationary mounds on tectonically active, gas-bearing fault systems. These faults may be potential earthquake areas. For three years (2009-2012), two red wood ant mounds (Formica rufa-group), located at the seismically active Neuwied Basin (Eifel, Germany), have been monitored 24/7 by high-resolution cameras with both a color and an infrared sensor. Early results show that ants have a well-identifiable standard daily routine. Correlation with local seismic events suggests changes in the ants' behavior hours before the earthquake: the nocturnal rest phase and daily activity are suppressed, and standard daily routine does not resume until the next day. At present, an automated image evaluation routine is being applied to the more than 45,000 hours of video streams. Based on this automated approach, a statistical analysis of the ants' behavior will be carried out. In addition, other parameters (climate, geotectonic and biological), which may influence behavior, will be included in the analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Berberich
- Department of Geology, Faculty of Biology, University Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, Germany.
| | | | - Arne Grumpe
- Image Analysis Group, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, TU Dortmund, Otto-Hahn-Straße 4, 44227 Dortmund, Germany.
| | - Christian Wöhler
- Image Analysis Group, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, TU Dortmund, Otto-Hahn-Straße 4, 44227 Dortmund, Germany.
| | - Ulrich Schreiber
- Department of Geology, Faculty of Biology, University Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, Germany.
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Abraçado LG, Esquivel DMS, Wajnberg E. ZFC/FC of oriented magnetic material in the Solenopsis interrupta head with antennae: characterization by FMR and SQUID. J Biol Phys 2012; 38:607-21. [PMID: 24615223 DOI: 10.1007/s10867-012-9275-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2012] [Accepted: 06/12/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Ferromagnetic resonance and SQUID magnetometry have been used to study magnetic material in the head with antennae, thorax, and abdomen of Solenopsis interrupta ants. The temperature dependence of the head with antennae using both techniques was measured. Room-temperature spectra and saturation magnetization were used to compare the magnetic material amount in the ant body parts. Both techniques show that the highest magnetic material fraction is in the head with antennae. The ordering temperature is observed at 100 ± 20 K for the ferromagnetic resonance spectra HF component. The estimated magnetic anisotropy constant K and g-values at room temperature are in good agreement with magnetite, supporting this material as the main magnetic particle constituent in the Solenopsis interrupta head with antenna. Particle diameters of 26 ± 2 nm and smaller than 14 nm were estimated. This work suggests that the head with antenna of the Solenopsis interrupta ant contains organized magnetic material and points to it as a good candidate as a magnetic sensor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leida G Abraçado
- Departamento de Física Aplicada, Centro Brasileiro de pesquisas Físicas, Rua Dr. Xavier Sigaud 150, 22290-180, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
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Zhou Y, Rocha A, Sanchez CJ, Liang H. Assessment of toxicity of nanoparticles using insects as biological models. Methods Mol Biol 2012; 906:423-433. [PMID: 22791454 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-61779-953-2_35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Nanomaterials have become increasingly important in medicine, manufacturing, and consumer products. The fundamental understanding in effects of nanoparticles (NPs) on and their interactions with biomolecules and organismal systems have yet to be achieved. In this chapter, we firstly provide a brief review of the interactions between nanoparticles and biological systems. We will then provide an example by describing a novel method to assess the effects of NPs on biological systems, using insects as a model. Nanoparticles were injected into the central nervous system of the discoid cockroach (Blaberus discoidalis). It was found that insects became hyperactive compared to negative control (water injections). Our method could provide a generic method of assessing nanoparticles toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhou
- Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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Dirks JH, Dürr V. Biomechanics of the stick insect antenna: damping properties and structural correlates of the cuticle. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2011; 4:2031-42. [PMID: 22098903 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2011.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2011] [Revised: 06/28/2011] [Accepted: 07/01/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The antenna of the Indian stick insect Carausius morosus is a highly specialized near-range sensory probe used to actively sample tactile cues about location, distance or shape of external objects in real time. The length of the antenna's flagellum is 100 times the diameter at the base, making it a very delicate and slender structure. Like the rest of the insect body, it is covered by a protective exoskeletal cuticle, making it stiff enough to allow controlled, active, exploratory movements and hard enough to resist damage and wear. At the same time, it is highly flexible in response to contact forces, and returns rapidly to its straight posture without oscillations upon release of contact force. Which mechanical adaptations allow stick insects to unfold the remarkable combination of maintaining a sufficiently invariant shape between contacts and being sufficiently compliant during contact? What role does the cuticle play? Our results show that, based on morphological differences, the flagellum can be divided into three zones, consisting of a tapered cone of stiff exocuticle lined by an inner wedge of compliant endocuticle. This inner wedge is thick at the antenna's base and thin at its distal half. The decay time constant after deflection, a measure that indicates strength of damping, is much longer at the base (τ>25 ms) than in the distal half (τ<18 ms) of the flagellum. Upon experimental desiccation, reducing mass and compliance of the endocuticle, the flagellum becomes under-damped. Analysing the frequency components indicates that the flagellum can be abstracted with the model of a double pendulum with springs and dampers in both joints. We conclude that in the stick-insect antenna the cuticle properties described are structural correlates of damping, allowing for a straight posture in the instant of a new contact event, combined with a maximum of flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan-Henning Dirks
- Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, 2 Dublin, Ireland.
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Wajnberg E, Acosta-Avalos D, Alves OC, de Oliveira JF, Srygley RB, Esquivel DMS. Magnetoreception in eusocial insects: an update. J R Soc Interface 2010; 7 Suppl 2:S207-25. [PMID: 20106876 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2009.0526.focus] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioural experiments for magnetoreception in eusocial insects in the last decade are reviewed. Ants and bees use the geomagnetic field to orient and navigate in areas around their nests and along migratory paths. Bees show sensitivity to small changes in magnetic fields in conditioning experiments and when exiting the hive. For the first time, the magnetic properties of the nanoparticles found in eusocial insects, obtained by magnetic techniques and electron microscopy, are reviewed. Different magnetic oxide nanoparticles, ranging from superparamagnetic to multi-domain particles, were observed in all body parts, but greater relative concentrations in the abdomens and antennae of honeybees and ants have focused attention on these segments. Theoretical models for how these specific magnetosensory apparatuses function have been proposed. Neuron-rich ant antennae may be the most amenable to discovering a magnetosensor that will greatly assist research into higher order processing of magnetic information. The ferromagnetic hypothesis is believed to apply to eusocial insects, but interest in a light-sensitive mechanism is growing. The diversity of compass mechanisms in animals suggests that multiple compasses may function in insect orientation and navigation. The search for magnetic compasses will continue even after a magnetosensor is discovered in eusocial insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliane Wajnberg
- Coordenação de Física Aplicada, Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas, R. Xavier Sigaud, 150, Rio de Janeiro 22290-180, Brazil.
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Winklhofer M, Kirschvink JL. A quantitative assessment of torque-transducer models for magnetoreception. J R Soc Interface 2010; 7 Suppl 2:S273-89. [PMID: 20086054 PMCID: PMC2843997 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2009.0435.focus] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Although ferrimagnetic material appears suitable as a basis of magnetic field perception in animals, it is not known by which mechanism magnetic particles may transduce the magnetic field into a nerve signal. Provided that magnetic particles have remanence or anisotropic magnetic susceptibility, an external magnetic field will exert a torque and may physically twist them. Several models of such biological magnetic-torque transducers on the basis of magnetite have been proposed in the literature. We analyse from first principles the conditions under which they are viable. Models based on biogenic single-domain magnetite prove both effective and efficient, irrespective of whether the magnetic structure is coupled to mechanosensitive ion channels or to an indirect transduction pathway that exploits the strayfield produced by the magnetic structure at different field orientations. On the other hand, torque-detector models that are based on magnetic multi-domain particles in the vestibular organs turn out to be ineffective. Also, we provide a generic classification scheme of torque transducers in terms of axial or polar output, within which we discuss the results from behavioural experiments conducted under altered field conditions or with pulsed fields. We find that the common assertion that a magnetoreceptor based on single-domain magnetite could not form the basis for an inclination compass does not always hold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Winklhofer
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 80333 Munich, Germany.
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