1
|
Langebrake C, Manthey G, Frederiksen A, Lugo Ramos JS, Dutheil JY, Chetverikova R, Solov'yov IA, Mouritsen H, Liedvogel M. Adaptive evolution and loss of a putative magnetoreceptor in passerines. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232308. [PMID: 38320616 PMCID: PMC10846946 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Migratory birds possess remarkable accuracy in orientation and navigation, which involves various compass systems including the magnetic compass. Identifying the primary magnetosensor remains a fundamental open question. Cryptochromes (Cry) have been shown to be magnetically sensitive, and Cry4a from a migratory songbird seems to show enhanced magnetic sensitivity in vitro compared to Cry4a from resident species. We investigate Cry and their potential involvement in magnetoreception in a phylogenetic framework, integrating molecular evolutionary analyses with protein dynamics modelling. Our analysis is based on 363 bird genomes and identifies different selection regimes in passerines. We show that Cry4a is characterized by strong positive selection and high variability, typical characteristics of sensor proteins. We identify key sites that are likely to have facilitated the evolution of an optimized sensory protein for night-time orientation in songbirds. Additionally, we show that Cry4 was lost in hummingbirds, parrots and Tyranni (Suboscines), and thus identified a gene deletion, which might facilitate testing the function of Cry4a in birds. In contrast, the other avian Cry (Cry1 and Cry2) were highly conserved across all species, indicating basal, non-sensory functions. Our results support a specialization or functional differentiation of Cry4 in songbirds which could be magnetosensation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Corinna Langebrake
- Institute of Avian Research ‘Vogelwarte Helgoland’, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- MPRG Behavioural Genomics, MPI Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany
| | - Georg Manthey
- Institute of Avian Research ‘Vogelwarte Helgoland’, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- Department of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg
| | - Anders Frederiksen
- Department of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg
| | - Juan S. Lugo Ramos
- MPRG Behavioural Genomics, MPI Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Julien Y. Dutheil
- Research Group Molecular Systems Evolution, MPI Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany
| | - Raisa Chetverikova
- Biology and Environmental Sciences Department, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg
| | - Ilia A. Solov'yov
- Department of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg
- Research Centre for Neurosensory Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg
- Center for Nanoscale Dynamics (CENAD), Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg
| | - Henrik Mouritsen
- Biology and Environmental Sciences Department, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg
- Research Centre for Neurosensory Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg
| | - Miriam Liedvogel
- Institute of Avian Research ‘Vogelwarte Helgoland’, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- MPRG Behavioural Genomics, MPI Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany
- Biology and Environmental Sciences Department, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kronland-Martinet T, Poughon L, Pasquinelli M, Duché D, Serres JR, Viollet S. SkyPole-A method for locating the north celestial pole from skylight polarization patterns. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2304847120. [PMID: 37459542 PMCID: PMC10374162 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2304847120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
True north can be determined on Earth by three means: magnetic compasses, stars, and via the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), each of which has its own drawbacks. GNSS are sensitive to jamming and spoofing, magnetic compasses are vulnerable to magnetic interferences, and the stars can be used only at night with a clear sky. As an alternative to these methods, nature-inspired navigational cues are of particular interest. Celestial polarization, which is used by insects such as Cataglyphis ants, can provide useful directional cues. Migrating birds calibrate their magnetic compasses by observing the celestial rotation at night. By combining these cues, we have developed a bioinspired optical method for finding the celestial pole during the daytime. This method, which we have named SkyPole, is based on the rotation of the skylight polarization pattern. A polarimetric camera was used to measure the degree of skylight polarization rotating with the Sun. Image difference processes were then applied to the time-varying measurements in order to determine the north celestial pole's position and thus the observer's latitude and bearing with respect to the true north.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Kronland-Martinet
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, ISM, Marseille 13009, France
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, IM2NP, Marseille 13013, France
| | - Léo Poughon
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, ISM, Marseille 13009, France
| | | | - David Duché
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, IM2NP, Marseille 13013, France
| | - Julien R Serres
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, ISM, Marseille 13009, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris 75005, France
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
McLaren JD, Schmaljohann H, Blasius B. Gauge-and-compass migration: inherited magnetic headings and signposts can adapt to changing geomagnetic landscapes. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2023; 11:37. [PMID: 37408064 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-023-00406-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND For many migratory species, inexperienced (naïve) individuals reach remote non-breeding areas independently using one or more inherited compass headings and, potentially, magnetic signposts to gauge where to switch between compass headings. Inherited magnetic-based migration has not yet been assessed as a population-level process, particularly across strong geomagnetic gradients or where long-term geomagnetic shifts (hereafter, secular variation) could create mismatches with magnetic headings. Therefore, it remains unclear whether inherited magnetic headings and signposts could potentially adapt to secular variation under natural selection. METHODS To address these unknowns, we modelled migratory orientation programs using an evolutionary algorithm incorporating global geomagnetic data (1900-2023). Modelled population mixing incorporated both natal dispersal and trans-generational inheritance of magnetic headings and signposts, including intrinsic (stochastic) variability in inheritance. Using the model, we assessed robustness of trans-hemispheric migration of a migratory songbird whose Nearctic breeding grounds have undergone rapid secular variation (mean 34° clockwise drift in declination, 1900-2023), and which travels across strong geomagnetic gradients via Europe to Africa. RESULTS Model-evolved magnetic-signposted migration was overall successful throughout the 124-year period, with 60-90% mean successful arrival across a broad range in plausible precision in compass headings and gauging signposts. Signposted migration reduced trans-Atlantic flight distances and was up to twice as successful compared with non-signposted migration. Magnetic headings shifted plastically in response to the secular variation (mean 16°-17° among orientation programs), whereas signpost latitudes were more constrained (3°-5° mean shifts). This plasticity required intrinsic variability in inheritance (model-evolved σ ≈ 2.6° standard error), preventing clockwise secular drift from causing unsustainable open-ocean flights. CONCLUSIONS Our study supports the potential long-term viability of inherited magnetic migratory headings and signposts, and illustrates more generally how inherited migratory orientation programs can both mediate and constrain evolution of routes, in response to global environmental change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James D McLaren
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), University of Oldenburg, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany.
| | - Heiko Schmaljohann
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences (IBU), Carl Von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
- Institute of Avian Research, 26386, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Bernd Blasius
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), University of Oldenburg, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB), University of Oldenburg, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Yee C, Görtemaker K, Wellpott R, Koch KW. Kinetics of cone specific G-protein signaling in avian photoreceptor cells. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1107025. [PMID: 36733826 PMCID: PMC9887155 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1107025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Cone photoreceptor cells of night-migratory songbirds seem to process the primary steps of two different senses, vision and magnetoreception. The molecular basis of phototransduction is a prototypical G protein-coupled receptor pathway starting with the photoexcitation of rhodopsin or cone opsin thereby activating a heterotrimeric G protein named transducin. This interaction is well understood in vertebrate rod cells, but parameter describing protein-protein interactions of cone specific proteins are rare and not available for migratory birds. European robin is a model organism for studying the orientation of birds in the earth magnetic field. Recent findings showed a link between the putative magnetoreceptor cryptochrome 4a and the cone specific G-protein of European robin. In the present work, we investigated the interaction of European robin cone specific G protein and cytoplasmic regions of long wavelength opsin. We identified the second loop in opsin connecting transmembrane regions three and four as a critical binding interface. Surface plasmon resonance studies using a synthetic peptide representing the second cytoplasmic loop and purified G protein α-subunit showed a high affinity interaction with a K D value of 21 nM. Truncation of the G protein α-subunit at the C-terminus by six amino acids slightly decreased the affinity. Our results suggest that binding of the G protein to cryptochrome can compete with the interaction of G protein and non-photoexcited long wavelength opsin. Thus, the parallel presence of two different sensory pathways in bird cone photoreceptors is reasonable under dark-adapted conditions or during illumination with short wavelengths.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chad Yee
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Neuroscience, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Görtemaker
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Neuroscience, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Rieke Wellpott
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Neuroscience, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Karl-Wilhelm Koch
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Neuroscience, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany,Research Center Neurosensory Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany,*Correspondence: Karl-Wilhelm Koch, ✉
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Smith LD, Chowdhury FT, Peasgood I, Dawkins N, Kattnig DR. Driven Radical Motion Enhances Cryptochrome Magnetoreception: Toward Live Quantum Sensing. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:10500-10506. [PMID: 36332112 PMCID: PMC9677492 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c02840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The mechanism underlying magnetoreception has long eluded explanation. A popular hypothesis attributes this sense to the quantum coherent spin dynamics and spin-selective recombination reactions of radical pairs in the protein cryptochrome. However, concerns about the validity of the hypothesis have been raised because unavoidable inter-radical interactions, such as the strong electron-electron dipolar coupling, appear to suppress its sensitivity. We demonstrate that sensitivity can be restored by driving the spin system through a modulation of the inter-radical distance. It is shown that this dynamical process markedly enhances geomagnetic field sensitivity in strongly coupled radical pairs via Landau-Zener-Stückelberg-Majorana transitions between singlet and triplet states. These findings suggest that a "live" harmonically driven magnetoreceptor can be more sensitive than its "dead" static counterpart.
Collapse
|
6
|
Rotov AY, Goriachenkov AA, Cherbunin RV, Firsov ML, Chernetsov N, Astakhova LA. Magnetoreceptory Function of European Robin Retina: Electrophysiological and Morphological Non-Homogeneity. Cells 2022; 11:cells11193056. [PMID: 36231018 PMCID: PMC9564291 DOI: 10.3390/cells11193056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The avian magnetic compass allows orientation during migration and is shown to function properly under short-wavelength but not long-wavelength visible light. Therefore, the magnetoreceptive system is assumed to be light- and wavelength-dependent and localized in the retina of the eye. Putative candidates for the role of primary magnetosensory molecules are the cryptochromes that are known to be expressed in the avian retina and must be able to interact with phototransduction proteins. Previously, we reported that in migratory birds change in magnetic field direction induces significant effects on electroretinogram amplitude in response to blue flashes, and such an effect was observed only in the nasal quadrant of the retina. Here, we report new electroretinographic, microscopic and microspectrophotometric data on European robins, confirming the magnetosensitivity of the retinal nasal quadrant after applying the background illumination. We hypothesized that magnetoreceptive distinction of this region may be related to its morphology and analyzed the retinal distribution and optical properties of oil droplets, the filtering structures within cones. We found that the nasal quadrant contains double cones with the most intensely colorized oil droplets compared to the rest of the retina, which may be related to its magnetosensory function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Yu. Rotov
- Laboratory of Evolution of the Sense Organs, Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry RAS, 194223 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Arsenii A. Goriachenkov
- Laboratory of Evolution of the Sense Organs, Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry RAS, 194223 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Roman V. Cherbunin
- Laboratory of Evolution of the Sense Organs, Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry RAS, 194223 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Spin Optics Laboratory, Physics Faculty, St. Petersburg State University, 198504 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Michael L. Firsov
- Laboratory of Evolution of the Sense Organs, Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry RAS, 194223 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Nikita Chernetsov
- Laboratory of Evolution of the Sense Organs, Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry RAS, 194223 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Biological Faculty, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Ornithology Lab, Zoological Institute RAS, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Luba A. Astakhova
- Laboratory of Evolution of the Sense Organs, Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry RAS, 194223 St. Petersburg, Russia
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
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: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Einwich A, Seth PK, Bartölke R, Bolte P, Feederle R, Dedek K, Mouritsen H. Localisation of cryptochrome 2 in the avian retina. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2021; 208:69-81. [PMID: 34677638 PMCID: PMC8918457 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-021-01506-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cryptochromes are photolyase-related blue-light receptors acting as core components of the mammalian circadian clock in the cell nuclei. One or more members of the cryptochrome protein family are also assumed to play a role in avian magnetoreception, but the primary sensory molecule in the retina of migratory birds that mediates light-dependent magnetic compass orientation has still not been identified. The mRNA of cryptochrome 2 (Cry2) has been reported to be located in the cell nuclei of the retina, but Cry2 localisation has not yet been demonstrated at the protein level. Here, we provide evidence that Cry2 protein is located in the photoreceptor inner segments, the outer nuclear layer, the inner nuclear layer and the ganglion cell layer in the retina of night-migratory European robins, homing pigeons and domestic chickens. At the subcellular level, we find Cry2 both in the cytoplasm and the nucleus of cells residing in these layers. This broad nucleic expression rather points to a role for avian Cry2 in the circadian clock and is consistent with a function as a transcription factor, analogous to mammalian Cry2, and speaks against an involvement in magnetoreception.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angelika Einwich
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Pranav Kumar Seth
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Rabea Bartölke
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Petra Bolte
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Regina Feederle
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Monoclonal Antibody Core Facility, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Karin Dedek
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.,Research Centre for Neurosensory Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Henrik Mouritsen
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany. .,Research Centre for Neurosensory Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Günther A, Dedek K, Haverkamp S, Irsen S, Briggman KL, Mouritsen H. Double Cones and the Diverse Connectivity of Photoreceptors and Bipolar Cells in an Avian Retina. J Neurosci 2021; 41:5015-5028. [PMID: 33893221 PMCID: PMC8197639 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2495-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Double cones are the most common photoreceptor cell type in most avian retinas, but their precise functions remain a mystery. Among their suggested functions are luminance detection, polarized light detection, and light-dependent, radical pair-based magnetoreception. To better understand the function of double cones, it will be crucial to know how they are connected to the neural network in the avian retina. Here we use serial sectioning, multibeam scanning electron microscopy to investigate double-cone anatomy and connectivity with a particular focus on their contacts to other photoreceptor and bipolar cells in the chicken retina. We found that double cones are highly connected to neighboring double cones and with other photoreceptor cells through telodendria-to-terminal and telodendria-to-telodendria contacts. We also identified 15 bipolar cell types based on their axonal stratifications, photoreceptor contact pattern, soma position, and dendritic and axonal field mosaics. Thirteen of these 15 bipolar cell types contacted at least one or both members of the double cone. All bipolar cells were bistratified or multistratified. We also identified surprising contacts between other cone types and between rods and cones. Our data indicate a much more complex connectivity network in the outer plexiform layer of the avian retina than originally expected.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Like in humans, vision is one of the most important senses for birds. Here, we present the first serial section multibeam scanning electron microscopy dataset from any bird retina. We identified many previously undescribed rod-to-cone and cone-to-cone connections. Surprisingly, of the 15 bipolar cell types we identified, 11 received input from rods and 13 of 15 received at least part of their input from double cones. Therefore, double cones seem to play many different and important roles in avian retinal processing, and the neural network and thus information processing in the outer retina are much more complex than previously expected. These fundamental findings will be very important for several fields of science, including vertebrate vision, avian magnetoreception, and comparative neuroanatomy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anja Günther
- Neurosensorics/Animal Navigation, Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Karin Dedek
- Neurosensorics/Animal Navigation, Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
- Research Center for Neurosensory Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Silke Haverkamp
- Department of Computational Neuroethology, Center of Advanced European Studies and Reasearch (caesar), 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Stephan Irsen
- Electron Microscopy and Analytics, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Kevin L Briggman
- Department of Computational Neuroethology, Center of Advanced European Studies and Reasearch (caesar), 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Henrik Mouritsen
- Neurosensorics/Animal Navigation, Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
- Research Center for Neurosensory Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Magnetic sensitivity of cryptochrome 4 from a migratory songbird. Nature 2021; 594:535-540. [PMID: 34163056 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03618-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Night-migratory songbirds are remarkably proficient navigators1. Flying alone and often over great distances, they use various directional cues including, crucially, a light-dependent magnetic compass2,3. The mechanism of this compass has been suggested to rely on the quantum spin dynamics of photoinduced radical pairs in cryptochrome flavoproteins located in the retinas of the birds4-7. Here we show that the photochemistry of cryptochrome 4 (CRY4) from the night-migratory European robin (Erithacus rubecula) is magnetically sensitive in vitro, and more so than CRY4 from two non-migratory bird species, chicken (Gallus gallus) and pigeon (Columba livia). Site-specific mutations of ErCRY4 reveal the roles of four successive flavin-tryptophan radical pairs in generating magnetic field effects and in stabilizing potential signalling states in a way that could enable sensing and signalling functions to be independently optimized in night-migratory birds.
Collapse
|
11
|
Wiltschko R, Nießner C, Wiltschko W. The Magnetic Compass of Birds: The Role of Cryptochrome. Front Physiol 2021; 12:667000. [PMID: 34093230 PMCID: PMC8171495 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.667000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The geomagnetic field provides directional information for birds. The avian magnetic compass is an inclination compass that uses not the polarity of the magnetic field but the axial course of the field lines and their inclination in space. It works in a flexible functional window, and it requires short-wavelength light. These characteristics result from the underlying sensory mechanism based on radical pair processes in the eyes, with cryptochrome suggested as the receptor molecule. The chromophore of cryptochrome, flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), undergoes a photocycle, where radical pairs are formed during photo-reduction as well as during re-oxidation; behavioral data indicate that the latter is crucial for detecting magnetic directions. Five types of cryptochromes are found in the retina of birds: cryptochrome 1a (Cry1a), cryptochrome 1b, cryptochrome 2, cryptochrome 4a, and cryptochrome 4b. Because of its location in the outer segments of the ultraviolet cones with their clear oil droplets, Cry1a appears to be the most likely receptor molecule for magnetic compass information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roswitha Wiltschko
- FB Biowissenschaften, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Christine Nießner
- FB Biowissenschaften, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wiltschko
- FB Biowissenschaften, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Kavet R, Brain J. Cryptochromes in Mammals and Birds: Clock or Magnetic Compass? Physiology (Bethesda) 2021; 36:183-194. [PMID: 33904789 DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00040.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Species throughout the animal kingdom use the Earth's magnetic field (MF) to navigate using either or both of two mechanisms. The first relies on magnetite crystals in tissue where their magnetic moments align with the MF to transduce a signal transmitted to the central nervous system. The second and the subject of this paper involves cryptochrome (CRY) proteins located in cone photoreceptors distributed across the retina, studied most extensively in birds. According to the "Radical Pair Mechanism" (RPM), blue/UV light excites CRY's flavin cofactor (FAD) to generate radical pairs whose singlet-to-triplet interconversion rate is modulated by an external MF. The signaling product of the RPM produces an impression of the field across the retinal surface. In birds, the resulting signal on the optic nerve is transmitted along the thalamofugal pathway to the primary visual cortex, which projects to brain regions concerned with image processing, memory, and executive function. The net result is a bird's orientation to the MF's inclination: its vector angle relative to the Earth's surface. The quality of ambient light (e.g., polarization) provides additional input to the compass. In birds, the Type IV CRY isoform appears pivotal to the compass, given its positioning within retinal cones; a cytosolic location therein indicating no role in the circadian clock; relatively steady diurnal levels (unlike Type II CRY's cycling); and a full complement of FAD (essential for photosensitivity). The evidence indicates that mammalian Type II CRY isoforms play a light-independent role in the cellular molecular clock without a photoreceptive function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Joseph Brain
- Environmental Physiology, Molecular, and Integrative Physiological Sciences Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Bolte P, Einwich A, Seth PK, Chetverikova R, Heyers D, Wojahn I, Janssen-Bienhold U, Feederle R, Hore P, Dedek K, Mouritsen H. Cryptochrome 1a localisation in light- and dark-adapted retinae of several migratory and non-migratory bird species: no signs of light-dependent activation. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2020.1870571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Petra Bolte
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl-von-Ossietzky-University Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Straße 9-11, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Angelika Einwich
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl-von-Ossietzky-University Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Straße 9-11, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Pranav K. Seth
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl-von-Ossietzky-University Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Straße 9-11, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Raisa Chetverikova
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl-von-Ossietzky-University Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Straße 9-11, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Dominik Heyers
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl-von-Ossietzky-University Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Straße 9-11, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
- Research Centre for Neurosensory Sciences, Carl-von-Ossietzky-University Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Straße 9-11, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Irina Wojahn
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl-von-Ossietzky-University Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Straße 9-11, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Ulrike Janssen-Bienhold
- Research Centre for Neurosensory Sciences, Carl-von-Ossietzky-University Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Straße 9-11, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
- Department of Neuroscience, Carl-von-Ossietzky-University Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Straße 9-11, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Regina Feederle
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Monoclonal Antibody Core Facility, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Peter Hore
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, United Kingdom
| | - Karin Dedek
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl-von-Ossietzky-University Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Straße 9-11, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
- Research Centre for Neurosensory Sciences, Carl-von-Ossietzky-University Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Straße 9-11, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Henrik Mouritsen
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl-von-Ossietzky-University Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Straße 9-11, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
- Research Centre for Neurosensory Sciences, Carl-von-Ossietzky-University Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Straße 9-11, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Wan G, Hayden AN, Iiams SE, Merlin C. Cryptochrome 1 mediates light-dependent inclination magnetosensing in monarch butterflies. Nat Commun 2021; 12:771. [PMID: 33536422 PMCID: PMC7859408 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21002-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals use the Earth's geomagnetic field for orientation and navigation. Yet, the molecular and cellular underpinnings of the magnetic sense remain largely unknown. A biophysical model proposed that magnetoreception can be achieved through quantum effects of magnetically-sensitive radical pairs formed by the photoexcitation of cryptochrome (CRY) proteins. Studies in Drosophila are the only ones to date to have provided compelling evidence for the ultraviolet (UV)-A/blue light-sensitive type 1 CRY (CRY1) involvement in animal magnetoreception, and surprisingly extended this discovery to the light-insensitive mammalian-like type 2 CRYs (CRY2s) of both monarchs and humans. Here, we show that monarchs respond to a reversal of the inclination of the Earth's magnetic field in an UV-A/blue light and CRY1, but not CRY2, dependent manner. We further demonstrate that both antennae and eyes, which express CRY1, are magnetosensory organs. Our work argues that only light-sensitive CRYs function in animal light-dependent inclination-based magnetic sensing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guijun Wan
- Department of Biology and Center for Biological Clocks Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA. .,Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Ashley N Hayden
- Department of Biology and Center for Biological Clocks Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Samantha E Iiams
- Department of Biology and Center for Biological Clocks Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.,Genetics Interdisciplinary Program, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Christine Merlin
- Department of Biology and Center for Biological Clocks Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA. .,Genetics Interdisciplinary Program, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Wong SY, Solov'yov IA, Hore PJ, Kattnig DR. Nuclear polarization effects in cryptochrome-based magnetoreception. J Chem Phys 2021; 154:035102. [PMID: 33499614 DOI: 10.1063/5.0038947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanism of the magnetic compass sense of migratory songbirds is thought to involve magnetically sensitive chemical reactions of light-induced radical pairs in cryptochrome proteins located in the birds' eyes. However, it is not yet clear whether this mechanism would be sensitive enough to form the basis of a viable compass. In the present work, we report spin dynamics simulations of models of cryptochrome-based radical pairs to assess whether accumulation of nuclear spin polarization in multiple photocycles could lead to significant enhancements in the sensitivity with which the proteins respond to the direction of the geomagnetic field. Although buildup of nuclear polarization appears to offer sensitivity advantages in the more idealized model systems studied, we find that these enhancements do not carry over to conditions that more closely resemble the situation thought to exist in vivo. On the basis of these simulations, we conclude that buildup of nuclear polarization seems unlikely to be a source of significant improvements in the performance of cryptochrome-based radical pair magnetoreceptors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Siu Ying Wong
- Institut für Physik, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Ilia A Solov'yov
- Institut für Physik, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - P J Hore
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QZ, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel R Kattnig
- Living Systems Institute and Department of Physics, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Ren Y, Hiscock HG, Hore PJ. Angular Precision of Radical Pair Compass Magnetoreceptors. Biophys J 2021; 120:547-555. [PMID: 33421412 PMCID: PMC7896030 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The light-dependent magnetic compass sense of night-migratory songbirds is thought to rely on magnetically sensitive chemical reactions of radical pairs in cryptochrome proteins located in the birds' eyes. Recently, an information theory approach was developed that provides a strict lower bound on the precision with which a bird could estimate its head direction using only geomagnetic cues and a cryptochrome-based radical pair sensor. By means of this lower bound, we show here how the performance of the compass sense could be optimized by adjusting the orientation of cryptochrome molecules within photoreceptor cells, the distribution of cells around the retina, and the effects of the geomagnetic field on the photochemistry of the radical pair.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi Ren
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Hamish G Hiscock
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - P J Hore
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Astakhova LA, Rotov AY, Cherbunin RV, Goriachenkov AA, Kavokin KV, Firsov ML, Chernetsov N. Electroretinographic study of the magnetic compass in European robins. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20202507. [PMID: 33290671 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Migratory birds are known to be sensitive to external magnetic field (MF). Much indirect evidence suggests that the avian magnetic compass is localized in the retina. Previously, we showed that changes in the MF direction could modulate retinal responses in pigeons. In the present study, we performed similar experiments using the traditional model animal to study the magnetic compass, European robins. The photoresponses of isolated retina were recorded using ex vivo electroretinography (ERG). Blue- and red-light stimuli were applied under an MF with the natural intensity and two MF directions, when the angle between the plane of the retina and the field lines was 0° and 90°, respectively. The results were separately analysed for four quadrants of the retina. A comparison of the amplitudes of the a- and b-waves of the ERG responses to blue stimuli under the two MF directions revealed a small but significant difference in a- but not b-waves, and in only one (nasal) quadrant of the retina. The amplitudes of both the a- and b-waves of the ERG responses to red stimuli did not show significant effects of the MF direction. Thus, changes in the external MF modulate the European robin retinal responses to blue flashes, but not to red flashes. This result is in a good agreement with behavioural data showing the successful orientation of birds in an MF under blue, but not under red illumination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luba A Astakhova
- Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry RAS, 44 Toreza Ave., St Petersburg 194223, Russia
| | - Alexander Yu Rotov
- Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry RAS, 44 Toreza Ave., St Petersburg 194223, Russia
| | - Roman V Cherbunin
- Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry RAS, 44 Toreza Ave., St Petersburg 194223, Russia
| | - Arsenii A Goriachenkov
- Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry RAS, 44 Toreza Ave., St Petersburg 194223, Russia
| | - Kirill V Kavokin
- Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry RAS, 44 Toreza Ave., St Petersburg 194223, Russia
| | - Michael L Firsov
- Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry RAS, 44 Toreza Ave., St Petersburg 194223, Russia
| | - Nikita Chernetsov
- Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry RAS, 44 Toreza Ave., St Petersburg 194223, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Albert L, Deschamps F, Jolivet A, Olivier F, Chauvaud L, Chauvaud S. A current synthesis on the effects of electric and magnetic fields emitted by submarine power cables on invertebrates. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 159:104958. [PMID: 32662447 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.104958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The goal of clean renewable energy production has promoted the large-scale deployment of marine renewable energy devices, and their associated submarine cable network. Power cables produce both electric and magnetic fields that raise environmental concerns as many marine organisms have magneto and electroreception abilities used for vital purposes. Magnetic and electric fields' intensities decrease with distance away from the cable. Accordingly, the benthic and the sedimentary compartments are exposed to the highest field values. Although marine invertebrate species are the major fauna of these potentially exposed areas, they have so far received little attention. We provide extensive background knowledge on natural and anthropogenic marine sources of magnetic and electric fields. We then compile evidence for magneto- and electro-sensitivity in marine invertebrates and further highlight what is currently known about their interactions with artificial sources of magnetic and electric fields. Finally we discuss the main gaps and future challenges that require further investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luana Albert
- TBM Environnement, Porte Océane Bloc 03, 2 rue de Suède, 56400, Auray, France; Univ. Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, rue Dumont D'Urville, 29280, Plouzané, France.
| | - François Deschamps
- RTE, Immeuble Window, 7C place du Dôme, 92073, Paris La Défense Cedex, France.
| | - Aurélie Jolivet
- TBM Environnement, Porte Océane Bloc 03, 2 rue de Suède, 56400, Auray, France.
| | - Frédéric Olivier
- Biologie des Organismes et écosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA, UMR 7208), MNHN/SU/UNICAEN/UA/CNRS/IRD, 61 Rue Buffon CP53, 75005, Paris, France; Station Marine de Concarneau, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Place de la Croix, BP 225, 29182, Concarneau Cedex, France.
| | - Laurent Chauvaud
- Univ. Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, rue Dumont D'Urville, 29280, Plouzané, France.
| | - Sylvain Chauvaud
- TBM Environnement, Porte Océane Bloc 03, 2 rue de Suède, 56400, Auray, France.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Navigating at night: fundamental limits on the sensitivity of radical pair magnetoreception under dim light. Q Rev Biophys 2019; 52:e9. [DOI: 10.1017/s0033583519000076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Night-migratory songbirds appear to sense the direction of the Earth's magnetic field via radical pair intermediates formed photochemically in cryptochrome flavoproteins contained in photoreceptor cells in their retinas. It is an open question whether this light-dependent mechanism could be sufficiently sensitive given the low-light levels experienced by nocturnal migrants. The scarcity of available photons results in significant uncertainty in the signal generated by the magnetoreceptors distributed around the retina. Here we use results from Information Theory to obtain a lower bound estimate of the precision with which a bird could orient itself using only geomagnetic cues. Our approach bypasses the current lack of knowledge about magnetic signal transduction and processing in vivo by computing the best-case compass precision under conditions where photons are in short supply. We use this method to assess the performance of three plausible cryptochrome-derived flavin-containing radical pairs as potential magnetoreceptors.
Collapse
|
20
|
Zoltowski BD, Chelliah Y, Wickramaratne A, Jarocha L, Karki N, Xu W, Mouritsen H, Hore PJ, Hibbs RE, Green CB, Takahashi JS. Chemical and structural analysis of a photoactive vertebrate cryptochrome from pigeon. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:19449-19457. [PMID: 31484780 PMCID: PMC6765304 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1907875116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Computational and biochemical studies implicate the blue-light sensor cryptochrome (CRY) as an endogenous light-dependent magnetosensor enabling migratory birds to navigate using the Earth's magnetic field. Validation of such a mechanism has been hampered by the absence of structures of vertebrate CRYs that have functional photochemistry. Here we present crystal structures of Columba livia (pigeon) CRY4 that reveal evolutionarily conserved modifications to a sequence of Trp residues (Trp-triad) required for CRY photoreduction. In ClCRY4, the Trp-triad chain is extended to include a fourth Trp (W369) and a Tyr (Y319) residue at the protein surface that imparts an unusually high quantum yield of photoreduction. These results are consistent with observations of night migratory behavior in animals at low light levels and could have implications for photochemical pathways allowing magnetosensing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian D Zoltowski
- Department of Chemistry, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275
- Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275
| | - Yogarany Chelliah
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390
| | - Anushka Wickramaratne
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390
| | - Lauren Jarocha
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, OX1 3QZ Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Nischal Karki
- Department of Chemistry, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275
- Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275
| | - Wei Xu
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390
| | - Henrik Mouritsen
- Institute for Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, DE-26111 Oldenburg, Germany
- Research Center for Neurosensory Sciences, University of Oldenburg, DE-26111 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Peter J Hore
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, OX1 3QZ Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ryan E Hibbs
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390
| | - Carla B Green
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390
| | - Joseph S Takahashi
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390;
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Abstract
Birds can use two kinds of information from the geomagnetic field for navigation: the direction of the field lines as a compass and probably magnetic intensity as a component of the navigational ‘map’. The direction of the magnetic field appears to be sensed via radical pair processes in the eyes, with the crucial radical pairs formed by cryptochrome. It is transmitted by the optic nerve to the brain, where parts of the visual system seem to process the respective information. Magnetic intensity appears to be perceived by magnetite-based receptors in the beak region; the information is transmitted by the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve to the trigeminal ganglion and the trigeminal brainstem nuclei. Yet in spite of considerable progress in recent years, many details are still unclear, among them details of the radical pair processes and their transformation into a nervous signal, the precise location of the magnetite-based receptors and the centres in the brain where magnetic information is combined with other navigational information for the navigational processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roswitha Wiltschko
- FB Biowissenschaften, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wiltschko
- FB Biowissenschaften, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Long-distance navigation and magnetoreception in migratory animals. Nature 2018; 558:50-59. [PMID: 29875486 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0176-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 223] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
For centuries, humans have been fascinated by how migratory animals find their way over thousands of kilometres. Here, I review the mechanisms used in animal orientation and navigation with a particular focus on long-distance migrants and magnetoreception. I contend that any long-distance navigational task consists of three phases and that no single cue or mechanism will enable animals to navigate with pinpoint accuracy over thousands of kilometres. Multiscale and multisensory cue integration in the brain is needed. I conclude by raising twenty important mechanistic questions related to long-distance animal navigation that should be solved over the next twenty years.
Collapse
|
23
|
Günther A, Einwich A, Sjulstok E, Feederle R, Bolte P, Koch KW, Solov’yov IA, Mouritsen H. Double-Cone Localization and Seasonal Expression Pattern Suggest a Role in Magnetoreception for European Robin Cryptochrome 4. Curr Biol 2018; 28:211-223.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2017] [Revised: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 12/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
|