1
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Laurien M, Mende L, Luhrmann L, Frederiksen A, Aldag M, Spiecker L, Clemmesen C, Solov'yov IA, Gerlach G. Magnetic orientation in juvenile Atlantic herring ( Clupea harengus) could involve cryptochrome 4 as a potential magnetoreceptor. J R Soc Interface 2024; 21:20240035. [PMID: 38835248 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2024.0035] [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: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The Earth's magnetic field can provide reliable directional information, allowing migrating animals to orient themselves using a magnetic compass or estimate their position relative to a target using map-based orientation. Here we show for the first time that young, inexperienced herring (Clupea harengus, Ch) have a magnetic compass when they migrate hundreds of kilometres to their feeding grounds. In birds, such as the European robin (Erithacus rubecula), radical pair-based magnetoreception involving cryptochrome 4 (ErCRY4) was demonstrated; the molecular basis of magnetoreception in fish is still elusive. We show that cry4 expression in the eye of herring is upregulated during the migratory season, but not before, indicating a possible use for migration. The amino acid structure of herring ChCRY4 shows four tryptophans and a flavin adenine dinucleotide-binding site, a prerequisite for a magnetic receptor. Using homology modelling, we successfully reconstructed ChCRY4 of herring, DrCRY4 of zebrafish (Danio rerio) and StCRY4 of brown trout (Salmo trutta) and showed that ChCRY4, DrCRY4 and ErCRY4a, but not StCRY4, exhibit very comparable dynamic behaviour. The electron transfer could take place in ChCRY4 in a similar way to ErCRY4a. The combined behavioural, transcriptomic and simulation experiments provide evidence that CRY4 could act as a magnetoreceptor in Atlantic herring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malien Laurien
- Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg , Oldenburg 26111, Germany
| | - Lara Mende
- Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg , Oldenburg 26111, Germany
| | - Lena Luhrmann
- Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg , Oldenburg 26111, Germany
| | - Anders Frederiksen
- Institute of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg , Oldenburg 26111, Germany
| | - Mandus Aldag
- Institute of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg , Oldenburg 26111, Germany
| | - Lisa Spiecker
- Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg , Oldenburg 26111, Germany
| | - Catriona Clemmesen
- Marine Evolutionary Ecology, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel , Kiel 24105, Germany
| | - Ilia A Solov'yov
- Institute of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg , Oldenburg 26111, Germany
- Research Centre for Neurosensory Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg , Oldenburg 26111, Germany
- Center for Nanoscale Dynamics (CENAD), Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg , Oldenburg 26111, Germany
| | - Gabriele Gerlach
- Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg , Oldenburg 26111, Germany
- Research Centre for Neurosensory Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg , Oldenburg 26111, Germany
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2
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Muheim R, Phillips JB. Effects of low-level RF fields reveal complex pattern of magnetic input to the avian magnetic compass. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19970. [PMID: 37968316 PMCID: PMC10651899 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46547-5] [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: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The avian magnetic compass can be disrupted by weak narrow-band and broadband radio-frequency (RF) fields in the lower MHz range. However, it is unclear whether disruption of the magnetic compass results from the elimination of the perception pattern produced by the magnetic field or from qualitative changes that make the pattern unrecognizable. We show that zebra finches trained in a 4-arm maze to orient relative to the magnetic field are disoriented when tested in the presence of low-level (~ 10 nT) Larmor-frequency RF fields. However, they are able to orient when tested in such RF fields if trained under this condition, indicating that the RF field alters, but does not eliminate, the magnetic input. Larmor-frequency RF fields of higher intensities, with or without harmonics, dramatically alter the magnetic compass response. In contrast, exposure to broadband RF fields in training, in testing, or in both training and testing eliminates magnetic compass information. These findings demonstrate that low-level RF fields at intensities found in many laboratory and field experiments may have very different effects on the perception of the magnetic field in birds, depending on the type and intensity of the RF field, and the birds' familiarity with the RF-generated pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Muheim
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Biology Building, 223 62, Lund, Sweden.
| | - John B Phillips
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061-0406, USA
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3
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Birchard K, Driver HG, Ademidun D, Bedolla-Guzmán Y, Birt T, Chown EE, Deane P, Harkness BAS, Morrin A, Masello JF, Taylor RS, Friesen VL. Circadian gene variation in relation to breeding season and latitude in allochronic populations of two pelagic seabird species complexes. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13692. [PMID: 37608061 PMCID: PMC10444859 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40702-8] [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: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Annual cues in the environment result in physiological changes that allow organisms to time reproduction during periods of optimal resource availability. Understanding how circadian rhythm genes sense these environmental cues and stimulate the appropriate physiological changes in response is important for determining the adaptability of species, especially in the advent of changing climate. A first step involves characterizing the environmental correlates of natural variation in these genes. Band-rumped and Leach's storm-petrels (Hydrobates spp.) are pelagic seabirds that breed across a wide range of latitudes. Importantly, some populations have undergone allochronic divergence, in which sympatric populations use the same breeding sites at different times of year. We investigated the relationship between variation in key functional regions of four genes that play an integral role in the cellular clock mechanism-Clock, Bmal1, Cry2 and Per2-with both breeding season and absolute latitude in these two species complexes. We discovered that allele frequencies in two genes, Clock and Bmal1, differed between seasonal populations in one archipelago, and also correlated with absolute latitude of breeding colonies. These results indicate that variation in these circadian rhythm genes may be involved in allochronic speciation, as well as adaptation to photoperiod at breeding locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Birchard
- Biology Department, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
- Apex Resource Management Solutions, Ottawa, ON, K2A 3K2, Canada
| | - Hannah G Driver
- Biology Department, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L1, Canada
| | - Dami Ademidun
- Biology Department, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | | | - Tim Birt
- Biology Department, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Erin E Chown
- Biology Department, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Petra Deane
- Biology Department, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
- Mascoma LLC, Lallemand Inc., Lebanon, NH, 03766, USA
| | - Bronwyn A S Harkness
- Biology Department, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Wildlife Research Division, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Austin Morrin
- Biology Department, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
- Sims Animal Hospital, Kingston, ON, K7K 7E9, Canada
| | - Juan F Masello
- Department of Animal Behaviour, University of Bielefeld, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Rebecca S Taylor
- Biology Department, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Landscape Science and Technology Division, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5R1, Canada
| | - Vicki L Friesen
- Biology Department, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada.
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4
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Zhang L, Malkemper EP. Cryptochromes in mammals: a magnetoreception misconception? Front Physiol 2023; 14:1250798. [PMID: 37670767 PMCID: PMC10475740 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1250798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryptochromes are flavoproteins related to photolyases that are widespread throughout the plant and animal kingdom. They govern blue light-dependent growth in plants, control circadian rhythms in a light-dependent manner in invertebrates, and play a central part in the circadian clock in vertebrates. In addition, cryptochromes might function as receptors that allow animals to sense the Earth's magnetic field. As cryptochromes are also present in mammals including humans, the possibility of a magnetosensitive protein is exciting. Here we attempt to provide a concise overview of cryptochromes in mammals. We briefly review their canonical role in the circadian rhythm from the molecular level to physiology, behaviour and diseases. We then discuss their disputed light sensitivity and proposed role in the magnetic sense in mammals, providing three mechanistic hypotheses. Specifically, mammalian cryptochromes could form light-induced radical pairs in particular cellular milieus, act as magnetoreceptors in darkness, or as secondary players in a magnetoreception signalling cascade. Future research can test these hypotheses to investigate if the role of mammalian cryptochromes extends beyond the circadian clock.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - E. Pascal Malkemper
- Max Planck Research Group Neurobiology of Magnetoreception, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior—caesar, Bonn, Germany
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5
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Wang J, Liu Y. Vibrationally resolved absorption and fluorescence spectra of flavins: A theoretical simulation in the gas phase. J CHIN CHEM SOC-TAIP 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jccs.202200243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jinyu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry Beijing Normal University Beijing China
| | - Ya‐Jun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Photochemistry, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry Beijing Normal University Beijing China
- Center for Advanced Materials Research Beijing Normal University Zhuhai China
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6
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Deppisch P, Helfrich-Förster C, Senthilan PR. The Gain and Loss of Cryptochrome/Photolyase Family Members during Evolution. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13091613. [PMID: 36140781 PMCID: PMC9498864 DOI: 10.3390/genes13091613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The cryptochrome/photolyase (CRY/PL) family represents an ancient group of proteins fulfilling two fundamental functions. While photolyases repair UV-induced DNA damages, cryptochromes mainly influence the circadian clock. In this study, we took advantage of the large number of already sequenced and annotated genes available in databases and systematically searched for the protein sequences of CRY/PL family members in all taxonomic groups primarily focusing on metazoans and limiting the number of species per taxonomic order to five. Using BLASTP searches and subsequent phylogenetic tree and motif analyses, we identified five distinct photolyases (CPDI, CPDII, CPDIII, 6-4 photolyase, and the plant photolyase PPL) and six cryptochrome subfamilies (DASH-CRY, mammalian-type MCRY, Drosophila-type DCRY, cnidarian-specific ACRY, plant-specific PCRY, and the putative magnetoreceptor CRY4. Manually assigning the CRY/PL subfamilies to the species studied, we have noted that over evolutionary history, an initial increase of various CRY/PL subfamilies was followed by a decrease and specialization. Thus, in more primitive organisms (e.g., bacteria, archaea, simple eukaryotes, and in basal metazoans), we find relatively few CRY/PL members. As species become more evolved (e.g., cnidarians, mollusks, echinoderms, etc.), the CRY/PL repertoire also increases, whereas it appears to decrease again in more recent organisms (humans, fruit flies, etc.). Moreover, our study indicates that all cryptochromes, although largely active in the circadian clock, arose independently from different photolyases, explaining their different modes of action.
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7
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Mazzoccoli G. Chronobiology Meets Quantum Biology: A New Paradigm Overlooking the Horizon? Front Physiol 2022; 13:892582. [PMID: 35874510 PMCID: PMC9296773 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.892582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological processes and physiological functions in living beings are featured by oscillations with a period of about 24 h (circadian) or cycle at the second and third harmonic (ultradian) of the basic frequency, driven by the biological clock. This molecular mechanism, common to all kingdoms of life, comprising animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, and protists, represents an undoubted adaptive advantage allowing anticipation of predictable changes in the environmental niche or of the interior milieu. Biological rhythms are the field of study of Chronobiology. In the last decade, growing evidence hints that molecular platforms holding up non-trivial quantum phenomena, including entanglement, coherence, superposition and tunnelling, bona fide evolved in biosystems. Quantum effects have been mainly implicated in processes related to electromagnetic radiation in the spectrum of visible light and ultraviolet rays, such as photosynthesis, photoreception, magnetoreception, DNA mutation, and not light related such as mitochondrial respiration and enzymatic activity. Quantum effects in biological systems are the field of study of Quantum Biology. Rhythmic changes at the level of gene expression, as well as protein quantity and subcellular distribution, confer temporal features to the molecular platform hosting electrochemical processes and non-trivial quantum phenomena. Precisely, a huge amount of molecules plying scaffold to quantum effects show rhythmic level fluctuations and this biophysical model implies that timescales of biomolecular dynamics could impinge on quantum mechanics biofunctional role. The study of quantum phenomena in biological cycles proposes a profitable “entanglement” between the areas of interest of these seemingly distant scientific disciplines to enlighten functional roles for quantum effects in rhythmic biosystems.
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8
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Lalpekhlui R, Renthlei Z, Trivedi AK. Molecular expression of clock genes in central and peripheral tissues of white-rumped munia ( Lonchura striata). Chronobiol Int 2022; 39:1058-1067. [PMID: 35473420 DOI: 10.1080/07420528.2022.2062374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
To synchronize with the fluctuating environment, organisms have evolved an endogenous time tracking mechanism referred to as the biological clock(s). This clock machinery has been identified in almost all cells of vertebrates and categorized as central and peripheral clocks. In birds, three independent circadian clocks have been identified in the hypothalamus, the pineal and the retina which interact and generate circadian time at a functional level. However, there is a limited knowledge of molecular clockwork and integration between central and peripheral clocks in birds. Therefore, we studied the daily expression of clock genes (Bmal1, Clock, Per2, Cry1, Npas2, Rev-Erbα, E4bp4, Pparα, Hlf and Tef) in three central circadian clocks (hypothalamus, pineal and retina), other brain areas (cerebellum, optic tectum and telencephalon) and in the peripheral tissues (liver, intestine, muscle and blood) of white-rumped munia. Adult birds were exposed to equinox photoperiod (12 L:12D) for 2 weeks and were then sampled (N = 5 per time point) at six-time points (ZT1, ZT5, ZT9, ZT13, ZT17 and ZT21). Daily expressions of clock genes were studied using qPCR. We observed daily variations and tissue-specific expression patterns for clock genes. These results are consistent with the autoregulatory circadian feedback loop proposed for the mammalian system and thus suggest a conserved tissue-level circadian time generation in white-rumped munia.
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9
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Perkinson CF, Einzinger M, Finley J, Bawendi MG, Baldo MA. Magnetic-Field-Switchable Laser via Optical Pumping of Rubrene. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2103870. [PMID: 34793612 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202103870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Volumetric optical imaging of magnetic fields is challenging with existing magneto-optical materials, motivating the search for dyes with strong magnetic field interactions, distinct emission spectra, and an ability to withstand high photon flux and incorporation within samples. Here, the magnetic field effect on singlet-exciton fission is exploited to demonstrate spatial imaging of magnetic fields in a thin film of rubrene. Doping rubrene with the high-quantum yield dye dibenzotetraphenylperiflanthene (DBP) is shown to enable optically pumped, slab waveguide lasing. This laser is magnetic-field-switchable: when operated just below the lasing threshold, application of a 0.4 T magnetic field switches the device between nonlasing and lasing modes, accompanied by an intensity modulation of +360%. This is thought to be the first demonstration of a magnetically switchable laser, as well as the largest magnetically induced change in emission brightness in a singlet-fission material to date. These results demonstrate that singlet-fission materials are promising materials for magnetic sensing applications and could inspire a new class of magneto-optical modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Collin F Perkinson
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Markus Einzinger
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Joseph Finley
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Moungi G Bawendi
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Marc A Baldo
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
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10
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Babcock N, Kattnig DR. Radical Scavenging Could Answer the Challenge Posed by Electron-Electron Dipolar Interactions in the Cryptochrome Compass Model. JACS AU 2021; 1:2033-2046. [PMID: 34841416 PMCID: PMC8611662 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.1c00332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Many birds are endowed with a visual magnetic sense that may exploit magnetosensitive radical recombination processes in the protein cryptochrome. In this widely accepted but unproven model, geomagnetic sensitivity is suggested to arise from variations in the recombination rate of a pair of radicals, whose unpaired electron spins undergo coherent singlet-triplet interconversion in the geomagnetic field by coupling to nuclear spins via hyperfine interactions. However, simulations of this conventional radical pair mechanism (RPM) predicted only tiny magnetosensitivities for realistic conditions because the RPM's directional sensitivity is strongly suppressed by the intrinsic electron-electron dipolar (EED) interactions, casting doubt on its viability as a magnetic sensor. We show how this RPM-suppression problem is overcome in a three-radical system in which a third "scavenger" radical reacts with one member of the primary pair. We use this finding to predict substantial magnetic field effects that exceed those of the RPM in the presence of EED interactions in animal cryptochromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan
Sean Babcock
- Quantum
Biology Laboratory, Howard University, 2400 Sixth Street NW, Washington District of Columbia, 20059, United States of America
- Living
Systems Institute and Department of Physics University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel R. Kattnig
- Living
Systems Institute and Department of Physics University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, United Kingdom
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11
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Ozturk N. Light-dependent reactions of animal circadian photoreceptor cryptochrome. FEBS J 2021; 289:6622-6639. [PMID: 34750956 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Circadian rhythms are endogenous autonomous 24-h oscillations that are generated by a transcription-translation feedback loop (TTFL). In the positive arm of the TTFL, two transcription factors activate the expression of two genes of the negative arm as well as circadian clock-regulated genes. The circadian clocks are reset through photoreceptor proteins by sunlight in the early morning to keep synchrony with the geological clock. Among animal circadian photoreceptors, Drosophila Cryptochrome (DmCRY) has some unique properties because Drosophila has a single cryptochrome (CRY) that appears to have functions which are specific to organs or tissues, or even to a subset of cells. In mammals, CRYs are not photoreceptors but function in the TTFL, while insects have a light-insensitive mammalian-like CRY or a Drosophila-like photoreceptor CRY (or both). Here, we postulate that as being just one CRY in Drosophila, DmCRY might play different roles in different tissues/organs in a context-dependent manner. In addition to being a circadian photoreceptor/protein, attributing also a magnetoreception function to DmCRY has increased its workload. Considering that DmCRY senses photons as a photoreceptor but also can regulate many different events in a light-dependent manner, differential protein-protein interactions (PPIs) of DmCRY might play a critical role in the generation of such diverse outputs. Therefore, we need to add novel approaches in addition to the current ones to study multiple and context-dependent functions of DmCRY by adopting recently developed techniques. Successful identification of transient/fast PPIs on a scale of minutes would enhance our understanding of light-dependent and/or magnetoreception-associated reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuri Ozturk
- Molecular Biology and Genetics, Gebze Technical University, Turkey
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12
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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.
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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.
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13
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Balay SD, Hochstoeger T, Vilceanu A, Malkemper EP, Snider W, Dürnberger G, Mechtler K, Schuechner S, Ogris E, Nordmann GC, Ushakova L, Nimpf S, Keays DA. The expression, localisation and interactome of pigeon CRY2. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20293. [PMID: 34645873 PMCID: PMC8514597 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99207-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptochromes (CRY) are highly conserved signalling molecules that regulate circadian rhythms and are candidate radical pair based magnetoreceptors. Birds have at least four cryptochromes (CRY1a, CRY1b, CRY2, and CRY4), but few studies have interrogated their function. Here we investigate the expression, localisation and interactome of clCRY2 in the pigeon retina. We report that clCRY2 has two distinct transcript variants, clCRY2a, and a previously unreported splice isoform, clCRY2b which is larger in size. We show that clCRY2a mRNA is expressed in all retinal layers and clCRY2b is enriched in the inner and outer nuclear layer. To define the localisation and interaction network of clCRY2 we generated and validated a monoclonal antibody that detects both clCRY2 isoforms. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that clCRY2a/b is present in all retinal layers and is enriched in the outer limiting membrane and outer plexiform layer. Proteomic analysis showed clCRY2a/b interacts with typical circadian molecules (PER2, CLOCK, ARTNL), cell junction proteins (CTNNA1, CTNNA2) and components associated with the microtubule motor dynein (DYNC1LI2, DCTN1, DCTN2, DCTN3) within the retina. Collectively these data show that clCRY2 is a component of the avian circadian clock and unexpectedly associates with the microtubule cytoskeleton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer D Balay
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus Vienna Biocenter 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.,Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tobias Hochstoeger
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus Vienna Biocenter 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexandra Vilceanu
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus Vienna Biocenter 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - E Pascal Malkemper
- Max Planck Research Group Neurobiology of Magnetoreception, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (Caesar), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175, Bonn, Germany
| | - William Snider
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Gerhard Dürnberger
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus Vienna Biocenter 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.,Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Karl Mechtler
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus Vienna Biocenter 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.,Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Schuechner
- Monoclonal Antibody Facility, Max Perutz Labs, Medical University of Vienna, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 9, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Egon Ogris
- Monoclonal Antibody Facility, Max Perutz Labs, Medical University of Vienna, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 9, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregory C Nordmann
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus Vienna Biocenter 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.,Vienna BioCenter PhD Program, Doctoral School of the University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lyubov Ushakova
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus Vienna Biocenter 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Simon Nimpf
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus Vienna Biocenter 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - David A Keays
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus Vienna Biocenter 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria. .,Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia. .,Division of Neurobiology, Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, 82152, Munich, Germany.
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14
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Dybus A, Kulig H, Yu YH, Lanckriet R, Proskura W, Cheng YH. CRY1 Gene Polymorphism and Racing Performance of Homing Pigeons. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:2632. [PMID: 34573598 PMCID: PMC8466513 DOI: 10.3390/ani11092632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptochromes (CRY) are the family of proteins proposed as the putative magnetoreceptor molecules. In birds, among others in pigeons, CRY1 is widely expressed in a retina. Homing pigeons are known for their navigational abilities, and pigeon racing is a popular sport. So, the purpose of this study was to analyze the variability of the nucleotide sequence of the homing pigeon CRY1 gene, spanning the region coding the two amino acids W320 and W374 of Trp-triad, and estimate the relationship between genotypes and the racing performance. Investigations were carried out on 129 pigeons. Analysis of sequencing results indicated the AG to TT change within the seventh intron of CRY1 gene. Genotypes were determined by the forced PCR-RFLP method. The influence of detected polymorphism on the results of racing pigeons in 100-400 km flights was shown. The AG/TT individuals achieved significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) mean values of ace points (AP) than the AG/AG ones. Regarding the detected nucleotide change localization, the polymorphism may be involved in CRY1 gene expression modulation. The AG to TT change in CRY1 gene may be considered as a potential genetic marker of racing performance in homing pigeons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej Dybus
- Department of Genetics, West Pomeranian University of Technology, 70-311 Szczecin, Poland;
| | - Hanna Kulig
- Department of Genetics, West Pomeranian University of Technology, 70-311 Szczecin, Poland;
| | - Yu-Hsiang Yu
- Department of Biotechnology and Animal Science, National Ilan University, Yilan 26047, Taiwan; (Y.-H.Y.); (Y.-H.C.)
| | | | - Witold Proskura
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Animal Husbandry, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, 71-270 Szczecin, Poland;
| | - Yeong-Hsiang Cheng
- Department of Biotechnology and Animal Science, National Ilan University, Yilan 26047, Taiwan; (Y.-H.Y.); (Y.-H.C.)
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15
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16
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Pinzon-Rodriguez A, Muheim R. Cryptochrome expression in avian UV cones: revisiting the role of CRY1 as magnetoreceptor. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12683. [PMID: 34135416 PMCID: PMC8209128 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92056-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryptochromes (CRY) have been proposed as putative magnetoreceptors in vertebrates. Localisation of CRY1 in the UV cones in the retinas of birds suggested that it could be the candidate magnetoreceptor. However, recent findings argue against this possibility. CRY1 is a type II cryptochrome, a subtype of cryptochromes that may not be inherently photosensitive, and it exhibits a clear circadian expression in the retinas of birds. Here, we reassessed the localisation and distribution of CRY1 in the retina of the zebra finch. Zebra finches have a light-dependent magnetic compass based on a radical-pair mechanism, similar to migratory birds. We found that CRY1 colocalised with the UV/V opsin (SWS1) in the outer segments of UV cones, but restricted to the tip of the segments. CRY1 was found in all UV cones across the entire retina, with the highest densities near the fovea. Pre-exposure of birds to different wavelengths of light did not result in any difference in CRY1 detection, suggesting that CRY1 did not undergo any detectable functional changes as result of light activation. Considering that CRY1 is likely not involved in magnetoreception, our findings open the possibility for an involvement in different, yet undetermined functions in the avian UV/V cones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atticus Pinzon-Rodriguez
- grid.4514.40000 0001 0930 2361Department of Biology, Lund University, Biology Building B, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Rachel Muheim
- grid.4514.40000 0001 0930 2361Department of Biology, Lund University, Biology Building B, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
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17
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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.
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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
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18
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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.
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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
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19
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Xue X, Ali YF, Luo W, Liu C, Zhou G, Liu NA. Biological Effects of Space Hypomagnetic Environment on Circadian Rhythm. Front Physiol 2021; 12:643943. [PMID: 33767637 PMCID: PMC7985258 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.643943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The intrinsic earth magnetic field (geomagnetic field, GMF) provides an essential environmental condition for most living organisms to adapt the solar cycle by rhythmically synchronizing physiological and behavioral processes. However, hypomagnetic field (HMF) of outer space, the Moon, and the Mars differs much from GMF, which poses a critical problem to astronauts during long-term interplanetary missions. Multiple experimental works have been devoted to the HMF effects on circadian rhythm and found that HMF perturbs circadian rhythms and profoundly contributes to health problems such as sleep disorders, altered metabolic as well as neurological diseases. By systemizing the latest progress on interdisciplinary cooperation between magnetobiology and chronobiology, this review sheds light on the health effects of HMF on circadian rhythms by elaborating the underlying circadian clock machinery and molecular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xunwen Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,Academy of Space Life Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yasser F Ali
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,Academy of Space Life Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,Biophysics lab, Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, Egypt
| | - Wanrong Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,Academy of Space Life Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Caorui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,Academy of Space Life Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Guangming Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,Academy of Space Life Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Ning-Ang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.,Academy of Space Life Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
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20
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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
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21
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Schwinn K, Ferré N, Huix-Rotllant M. UV-visible absorption spectrum of FAD and its reduced forms embedded in a cryptochrome protein. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:12447-12455. [PMID: 32458897 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp01714k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cryptochromes are a class of flavoproteins proposed as candidates to explain magnetoreception of animals, plants and bacteria. The main hypothesis is that a biradical is formed upon blue-light absorption by flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). In a protein milieu, the oxidized form of FAD can be reduced, leading to four redox derivative forms: anionic and neutral semi-reduced radicals, and anionic and neutral fully reduced forms. All these forms have a characteristic electronic absorption spectrum, with a strong vibrational resolution. Here, we carried out a normal mode analysis at the electrostatic embedding QM/MM level of theory to compute the vibrationally resolved absorption spectra of the five redox forms of FAD embedded in a plant cryptochrome. We show that explicitly accounting for vibrational broadening contributions to electronic transitions is essential to reproduce the experimental spectra. In the case of the neutral radical form of FAD, the absorption spectrum is reproduced only if the presence of a tryptophan radical is considered.
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22
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Otsuka H, Mitsui H, Miura K, Okano K, Imamoto Y, Okano T. Rapid Oxidation Following Photoreduction in the Avian Cryptochrome4 Photocycle. Biochemistry 2020; 59:3615-3625. [PMID: 32915550 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Avian magnetoreception is assumed to occur in the retina. Although its molecular mechanism is unclear, magnetic field-dependent formation and the stability of radical-containing photointermediate(s) are suggested to play key roles in a hypothesis called the radical pair mechanism. Chicken cryptochrome4 (cCRY4) has been identified as a candidate magnetoreceptive molecule due to its expression in the retina and its ability to form stable flavin neutral radicals (FADH●) upon blue light absorption. Herein, we used millisecond flash photolysis to investigate the cCRY4 photocycle, in both the presence and absence of dithiothreitol (DTT); detecting the anion radical form of FAD (FAD●-) under both conditions. Using spectral data obtained during flash photolysis and UV-visible photospectroscopy, we estimated the absolute absorbance spectra of the photointermediates, thus allowing us to decompose each spectrum into its individual components. Notably, in the absence of DTT, approximately 37% and 63% of FAD●- was oxidized to FADOX and protonated to form FADH●, respectively. Singular value decomposition analysis suggested the presence of two FAD●- molecular species, each of which was destined to be oxidized to FADOX or protonated to FADH●. A tyrosine neutral radical was also detected; however, it likely decayed concomitantly with the oxidation of FAD●-. On the basis of these results, we considered the occurrence of bifurcation prior to FAD●- generation, or during FAD●- oxidization, and discussed the potential role played by the tyrosine radical in the radical pair mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroaki Otsuka
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Bioscience, Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering, Waseda University, TWIns, Wakamatsucho 2-2, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Hiromasa Mitsui
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Bioscience, Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering, Waseda University, TWIns, Wakamatsucho 2-2, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Kota Miura
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Bioscience, Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering, Waseda University, TWIns, Wakamatsucho 2-2, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Keiko Okano
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Bioscience, Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering, Waseda University, TWIns, Wakamatsucho 2-2, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Yasushi Imamoto
- Department of Biophysics, Division of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwakecho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Okano
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Bioscience, Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering, Waseda University, TWIns, Wakamatsucho 2-2, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
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23
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Hochstoeger T, Al Said T, Maestre D, Walter F, Vilceanu A, Pedron M, Cushion TD, Snider W, Nimpf S, Nordmann GC, Landler L, Edelman N, Kruppa L, Dürnberger G, Mechtler K, Schuechner S, Ogris E, Malkemper EP, Weber S, Schleicher E, Keays DA. The biophysical, molecular, and anatomical landscape of pigeon CRY4: A candidate light-based quantal magnetosensor. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eabb9110. [PMID: 32851187 PMCID: PMC7423367 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb9110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The biophysical and molecular mechanisms that enable animals to detect magnetic fields are unknown. It has been proposed that birds have a light-dependent magnetic compass that relies on the formation of radical pairs within cryptochrome molecules. Using spectroscopic methods, we show that pigeon cryptochrome clCRY4 is photoreduced efficiently and forms long-lived spin-correlated radical pairs via a tetrad of tryptophan residues. We report that clCRY4 is broadly and stably expressed within the retina but enriched at synapses in the outer plexiform layer in a repetitive manner. A proteomic survey for retinal-specific clCRY4 interactors identified molecules that are involved in receptor signaling, including glutamate receptor-interacting protein 2, which colocalizes with clCRY4. Our data support a model whereby clCRY4 acts as an ultraviolet-blue photoreceptor and/or a light-dependent magnetosensor by modulating glutamatergic synapses between horizontal cells and cones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Hochstoeger
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Tarek Al Said
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstrasse 21, Freiburg 79104, Germany
| | - Dante Maestre
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Florian Walter
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Alexandra Vilceanu
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Miriam Pedron
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Thomas D. Cushion
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - William Snider
- Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Simon Nimpf
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Gregory Charles Nordmann
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Lukas Landler
- Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
| | - Nathaniel Edelman
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Lennard Kruppa
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstrasse 21, Freiburg 79104, Germany
| | - Gerhard Dürnberger
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), VBC, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Karl Mechtler
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (IMBA), VBC, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 3, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Stefan Schuechner
- Monoclonal Antibody Facility, Max Perutz Labs, Medical University of Vienna, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 9, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Egon Ogris
- Monoclonal Antibody Facility, Max Perutz Labs, Medical University of Vienna, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 9, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - E. Pascal Malkemper
- Monoclonal Antibody Facility, Max Perutz Labs, Medical University of Vienna, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 9, Vienna 1030, Austria
- Max Planck Research Group Neurobiology of Magnetoreception, Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (CAESAR), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, Bonn 53175, Germany
| | - Stefan Weber
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstrasse 21, Freiburg 79104, Germany
| | - Erik Schleicher
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Albertstrasse 21, Freiburg 79104, Germany
| | - David A. Keays
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus-Vienna-Biocenter 1, Vienna 1030, Austria
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Division of Neurobiology, Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Planegg-Martinsried 82152, Germany
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24
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Sjulstok E, Solov'yov IA. Structural Explanations of Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide Binding in Drosophila melanogaster Cryptochrome. J Phys Chem Lett 2020; 11:3866-3870. [PMID: 32330039 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c00625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Cryptochrome proteins are thought to be involved in light-sensitive magnetoreception in migratory birds triggered by flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) light absorption. A recent study, however, calls into question the ability of vertebrate cryptochrome proteins to bind FAD, rendering them unlikely to function as magnetoreceptive proteins. In this Letter, we investigate the structural changes occurring in Drosophila melanogaster cryptochrome, upon key amino acid mutations, which reduce FAD binding. Through computational analysis we have now suggested why some mutations do not preclude FAD binding in all vertebrate cryptochrome proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emil Sjulstok
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, Texas 75390, United States
| | - Ilia A Solov'yov
- Department of Physics, Carl von Ossietzky University, Carl von Ossietzky str. 9-11, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
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25
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Kok EMA, Hogan JA, Piersma T. Experimental tests of a seasonally changing visual preference for habitat in a long‐distance migratory shorebird. Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Eva M. A. Kok
- Department of Coastal Systems NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University Den Burg The Netherlands
- Conservation Ecology Group Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Jerry A. Hogan
- Department of Psychology University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
| | - Theunis Piersma
- Department of Coastal Systems NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University Den Burg The Netherlands
- Conservation Ecology Group Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
- Rudi Drent Chair in Global Flyway Ecology Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
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26
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Janiak MC, Pinto SL, Duytschaever G, Carrigan MA, Melin AD. Genetic evidence of widespread variation in ethanol metabolism among mammals: revisiting the 'myth' of natural intoxication. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200070. [PMID: 32343936 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans have a long evolutionary relationship with ethanol, pre-dating anthropogenic sources, and possess unusually efficient ethanol metabolism, through a mutation that evolved in our last common ancestor with African great apes. Increased exposure to dietary ethanol through fermenting fruits and nectars is hypothesized to have selected for this in our lineage. Yet, other mammals have frugivorous and nectarivorous diets, raising the possibility of natural ethanol exposure and adaptation in other taxa. We conduct a comparative genetic analysis of alcohol dehydrogenase class IV (ADH IV) across mammals to provide insight into their evolutionary history with ethanol. We find genetic variation and multiple pseudogenization events in ADH IV, indicating the ability to metabolize ethanol is variable. We suggest that ADH enzymes are evolutionarily plastic and show promise for revealing dietary adaptation. We further highlight the derived condition of humans and draw attention to problems with modelling the physiological responses of other mammals on them, a practice that has led to potentially erroneous conclusions about the likelihood of natural intoxication in wild animals. It is a fallacy to assume that other animals share our metabolic adaptations, rather than taking into consideration each species' unique physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mareike C Janiak
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary AB T2N 1N4, Canada.,Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Swellan L Pinto
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Gwen Duytschaever
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | | | - Amanda D Melin
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary AB T2N 1N4, Canada.,Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of Calgary, AB, Canada
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27
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Morris KM, Hindle MM, Boitard S, Burt DW, Danner AF, Eory L, Forrest HL, Gourichon D, Gros J, Hillier LW, Jaffredo T, Khoury H, Lansford R, Leterrier C, Loudon A, Mason AS, Meddle SL, Minvielle F, Minx P, Pitel F, Seiler JP, Shimmura T, Tomlinson C, Vignal A, Webster RG, Yoshimura T, Warren WC, Smith J. The quail genome: insights into social behaviour, seasonal biology and infectious disease response. BMC Biol 2020; 18:14. [PMID: 32050986 PMCID: PMC7017630 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-0743-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) is a popular domestic poultry species and an increasingly significant model species in avian developmental, behavioural and disease research. RESULTS We have produced a high-quality quail genome sequence, spanning 0.93 Gb assigned to 33 chromosomes. In terms of contiguity, assembly statistics, gene content and chromosomal organisation, the quail genome shows high similarity to the chicken genome. We demonstrate the utility of this genome through three diverse applications. First, we identify selection signatures and candidate genes associated with social behaviour in the quail genome, an important agricultural and domestication trait. Second, we investigate the effects and interaction of photoperiod and temperature on the transcriptome of the quail medial basal hypothalamus, revealing key mechanisms of photoperiodism. Finally, we investigate the response of quail to H5N1 influenza infection. In quail lung, many critical immune genes and pathways were downregulated after H5N1 infection, and this may be key to the susceptibility of quail to H5N1. CONCLUSIONS We have produced a high-quality genome of the quail which will facilitate further studies into diverse research questions using the quail as a model avian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina M Morris
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK.
| | - Matthew M Hindle
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Simon Boitard
- GenPhySE, Université de Toulouse, INRAE, ENVT, 31326, Castanet Tolosan, France
| | - David W Burt
- The John Hay Building, Queensland Biosciences Precinct, 306 Carmody Road, The University of Queensland, QLD, St Lucia, 4072, Australia
| | - Angela F Danner
- Virology Division, Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Lel Eory
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Heather L Forrest
- Virology Division, Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - David Gourichon
- PEAT Pôle d'Expérimentation Avicole de Tours, Centre de recherche Val de Loire, INRAE, 1295, Nouzilly, UE, France
| | - Jerome Gros
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724, Cedex 15, Paris, France
- CNRS URA3738, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - LaDeana W Hillier
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Blvd, St Louis, MO, 63108, USA
| | - Thierry Jaffredo
- CNRS UMR7622, Inserm U 1156, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement, Sorbonne Université, IBPS, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Hanane Khoury
- CNRS UMR7622, Inserm U 1156, Laboratoire de Biologie du Développement, Sorbonne Université, IBPS, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Rusty Lansford
- Department of Radiology and Developmental Neuroscience Program, Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles and Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA
| | - Christine Leterrier
- UMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, INRAE, CNRS, Université François Rabelais, IFCE, INRAE, Val de Loire, 37380, Nouzilly, Centre, France
| | - Andrew Loudon
- Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, University of Manchester, 3.001, A.V. Hill Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Andrew S Mason
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Simone L Meddle
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Francis Minvielle
- GABI, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Patrick Minx
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Blvd, St Louis, MO, 63108, USA
| | - Frédérique Pitel
- GenPhySE, Université de Toulouse, INRAE, ENVT, 31326, Castanet Tolosan, France
| | - J Patrick Seiler
- Virology Division, Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Tsuyoshi Shimmura
- Department of Biological Production, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-8-1 Harumi-cho, Fuchu, Tokyo, 183-8538, Japan
| | - Chad Tomlinson
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Blvd, St Louis, MO, 63108, USA
| | - Alain Vignal
- GenPhySE, Université de Toulouse, INRAE, ENVT, 31326, Castanet Tolosan, France
| | - Robert G Webster
- Virology Division, Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Takashi Yoshimura
- Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM), Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan
| | - Wesley C Warren
- Department of Animal Sciences, Department of Surgery, Institute for Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, Bond Life Sciences Center, 1201 Rollins Street, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Jacqueline Smith
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
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28
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Liu GJ, Chen ZF, Zhao XH, Li MY, Guo ZH. Meta-analysis: Supplementary artificial light and goose reproduction. Anim Reprod Sci 2020; 214:106278. [PMID: 32087909 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2020.106278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Photoperiod affects poultry reproduction, and in birds, photoperiod regulation is a complex physiological process. In modern poultry production, lighting management has become an important and effective management approach for increasing egg production. Geese are domesticated fowl and in many goose production enterprises animals are allowed to roam in outside pens during the day and are housed indoors at night, so the animals can be exposed to artificial lighting during the night periods. Supplementary artificial lighting resulted in improved reproduction in some studies, but reports have been inconsistent. To evaluate the results from previous studies of supplementary lighting on goose egg production, a meta-analysis was conducted to determine optimal supplementary artificial lighting regimens for geese egg production. Results indicated supplementary artificial light increases mean egg production, the length of the period of egg production before there is cessation of egg production capacity, and fertility. In summary, there were evaluations of data from five studies focused on White Roman geese in the meta-analysis conducted in the present study, however, examination of more breeds is necessary to make more definitive assessments of the findings from this meta-analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- G J Liu
- Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Animal Husbandry Research Institute, No. 368 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150086, PR China.
| | - Z F Chen
- Heilongjiang Animal Sciences Institute, No. 2 Heyi Road, Qiqihare 161005, PR China.
| | - X H Zhao
- Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Animal Husbandry Research Institute, No. 368 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150086, PR China.
| | - M Y Li
- Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Animal Husbandry Research Institute, No. 368 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150086, PR China.
| | - Z H Guo
- Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Animal Husbandry Research Institute, No. 368 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150086, PR China.
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29
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Analysis of zebrafish cryptochrome 2 and 4 expression in UV cone photoreceptors. Gene Expr Patterns 2020; 35:119100. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2020.119100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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30
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Kobylkov D, Wynn J, Winklhofer M, Chetverikova R, Xu J, Hiscock H, Hore PJ, Mouritsen H. Electromagnetic 0.1-100 kHz noise does not disrupt orientation in a night-migrating songbird implying a spin coherence lifetime of less than 10 µs. J R Soc Interface 2019; 16:20190716. [PMID: 31847760 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2019.0716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
According to the currently prevailing theory, the magnetic compass sense in night-migrating birds relies on a light-dependent radical-pair-based mechanism. It has been shown that radio waves at megahertz frequencies disrupt magnetic orientation in migratory birds, providing evidence for a quantum-mechanical origin of the magnetic compass. Still, many crucial properties, e.g. the lifetime of the proposed magnetically sensitive radical pair, remain unknown. The current study aims to estimate the spin coherence time of the radical pair, based on the behavioural responses of migratory birds to broadband electromagnetic fields covering the frequency band 0.1-100 kHz. A finding that the birds were unable to use their magnetic compass under these conditions would imply surprisingly long-lived (greater than 10 µs) spin coherence. However, we observed no effect of 0.1-100 kHz radiofrequency (RF) fields on the orientation of night-migratory Eurasian blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla). This suggests that the lifetime of the spin coherence involved in magnetoreception is shorter than the period of the highest frequency RF fields used in this experiment (i.e. approx. 10 µs). This result, in combination with an earlier study showing that 20-450 kHz electromagnetic fields disrupt magnetic compass orientation, suggests that the spin coherence lifetime of the magnetically sensitive radical pair is in the range 2-10 µs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry Kobylkov
- AG 'Neurosensorik', University Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany.,Research Centre for Neurosensory Sciences, University Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Joe Wynn
- Oxford Navigation Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Michael Winklhofer
- AG 'Neurosensorik', University Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany.,AG 'Sensory Biology of Animals', University Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Raisa Chetverikova
- AG 'Neurosensorik', University Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany.,Research Centre for Neurosensory Sciences, University Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Jingjing Xu
- AG 'Neurosensorik', University Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany.,Research Centre for Neurosensory Sciences, University Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Hamish Hiscock
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - P J Hore
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Henrik Mouritsen
- AG 'Neurosensorik', University Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany.,Research Centre for Neurosensory Sciences, University Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany
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31
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32
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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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roswitha Wiltschko
- FB Biowissenschaften, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wiltschko
- FB Biowissenschaften, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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33
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Miura K, Tsuji Y, Mitsui H, Oshima T, Noshi Y, Arisawa Y, Okano K, Okano T. THETA system allows one-step isolation of tagged proteins through temperature-dependent protein-peptide interaction. Commun Biol 2019; 2:207. [PMID: 31240245 PMCID: PMC6572768 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0457-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Tools to control protein-protein interactions by external stimuli have been extensively developed. For this purpose, thermal stimulation can be utilized in addition to light. In this study, we identify a monoclonal antibody termed C13 mAb, which shows an approximately 480-fold decrease in the affinity constant at 37 °C compared to that at 4 °C. Next, we apply this temperature-dependent protein-peptide interaction for one-step protein purifications. We term this THermal-Elution-based TAg system as the THETA system, in which gel-immobilized C13 mAb-derived single-chain variable fragment (scFv) (termed THETAL) is able to bind with proteins tagged by C13 mAb-epitope(s) (THETAS) at 4 °C and thermally release at 37-42 °C. Moreover, to reveal the temperature-dependent interaction mechanism, molecular dynamics simulations are performed along with epitope mapping experiments. Overall, the high specificity and reversibility of the temperature-dependent features of the THETA system will support a wide variety of future applications such as thermogenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kota Miura
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Bioscience, Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering, Waseda University, TWIns, Wakamatsucho 2-2, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo 162-8480 Japan
| | - Yusuke Tsuji
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Bioscience, Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering, Waseda University, TWIns, Wakamatsucho 2-2, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo 162-8480 Japan
| | - Hiromasa Mitsui
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Bioscience, Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering, Waseda University, TWIns, Wakamatsucho 2-2, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo 162-8480 Japan
| | - Takuya Oshima
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Bioscience, Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering, Waseda University, TWIns, Wakamatsucho 2-2, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo 162-8480 Japan
| | - Yosei Noshi
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Bioscience, Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering, Waseda University, TWIns, Wakamatsucho 2-2, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo 162-8480 Japan
| | - Yudai Arisawa
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Bioscience, Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering, Waseda University, TWIns, Wakamatsucho 2-2, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo 162-8480 Japan
| | - Keiko Okano
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Bioscience, Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering, Waseda University, TWIns, Wakamatsucho 2-2, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo 162-8480 Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Okano
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Bioscience, Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering, Waseda University, TWIns, Wakamatsucho 2-2, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo 162-8480 Japan
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34
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Wang X, Jing C, Selby CP, Chiou YY, Yang Y, Wu W, Sancar A, Wang J. Comparative properties and functions of type 2 and type 4 pigeon cryptochromes. Cell Mol Life Sci 2018; 75:4629-4641. [PMID: 30264181 PMCID: PMC6383368 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-018-2920-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Two types of vertebrate cryptochromes (Crys) are currently recognized. Type 2 Crys function in the molecular circadian clock as light-independent transcriptional repressors. Type 4 Crys are a newly discovered group with unknown function, although they are flavoproteins, and therefore, may function as photoreceptors. It has been postulated that Crys function in light-dependent magnetoreception, which is thought to contribute towards homing and migratory behaviors. Here we have cloned and annotated the full-length pigeon ClCry1, ClCry2, and ClCry4 genes, and characterized the full-length proteins and several site-directed mutants to investigate the roles of these proteins. ClCry1 and ClCry2 are phylogenetically grouped as Type 2 Crys and thus are expected to be core components of the pigeon circadian clock. Interestingly, we find that ClCry4 is properly annotated as a Type 4 Cry. It appears that many birds possess a Type 4 Cry which, as in pigeon, is misannotated. Like the Type 2 Crys, ClCry4 is widespread in pigeon tissues. However, unlike the Type 2 Crys, ClCry4 is cytosolic, and purified ClCry4 possesses FAD cofactor, which confers characteristic UV-Vis spectra as well as two photochemical activities. We find that ClCry4 undergoes light-dependent conformational change, which is a property of insect Type 1 Crys involved in the insect-specific pathway of photoentrainment of the biological clock. ClCry4 can also be photochemically reduced by a mechanism common to all FAD-containing Cry family members, and this mechanism is postulated to be influenced by the geomagnetic field. Thus pigeon Crys control circadian behavior and may also have photosensory function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuefeng Wang
- College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, 410073, Hunan, People's Republic of China
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Chengyu Jing
- College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, 410073, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Christopher P Selby
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Yi-Ying Chiou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Institute of Biochemistry, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yanyan Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Wenjian Wu
- College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, 410073, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Aziz Sancar
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
| | - Jing Wang
- College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, 410073, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
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35
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Marais A, Adams B, Ringsmuth AK, Ferretti M, Gruber JM, Hendrikx R, Schuld M, Smith SL, Sinayskiy I, Krüger TPJ, Petruccione F, van Grondelle R. The future of quantum biology. J R Soc Interface 2018; 15:20180640. [PMID: 30429265 PMCID: PMC6283985 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2018.0640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological systems are dynamical, constantly exchanging energy and matter with the environment in order to maintain the non-equilibrium state synonymous with living. Developments in observational techniques have allowed us to study biological dynamics on increasingly small scales. Such studies have revealed evidence of quantum mechanical effects, which cannot be accounted for by classical physics, in a range of biological processes. Quantum biology is the study of such processes, and here we provide an outline of the current state of the field, as well as insights into future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Marais
- Quantum Research Group, School of Chemistry and Physics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Betony Adams
- Quantum Research Group, School of Chemistry and Physics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Andrew K Ringsmuth
- Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Australia
| | - Marco Ferretti
- Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J Michael Gruber
- Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ruud Hendrikx
- Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maria Schuld
- Quantum Research Group, School of Chemistry and Physics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Samuel L Smith
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ilya Sinayskiy
- Quantum Research Group, School of Chemistry and Physics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
- National Institute for Theoretical Physics, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Tjaart P J Krüger
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
| | - Francesco Petruccione
- Quantum Research Group, School of Chemistry and Physics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
- National Institute for Theoretical Physics, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Rienk van Grondelle
- Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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36
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Renthlei Z, Gurumayum T, Borah BK, Trivedi AK. Daily expression of clock genes in central and peripheral tissues of tree sparrow (Passer montanus). Chronobiol Int 2018; 36:110-121. [DOI: 10.1080/07420528.2018.1523185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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37
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An open quantum system approach to the radical pair mechanism. Sci Rep 2018; 8:15719. [PMID: 30356085 PMCID: PMC6200754 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34007-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of the radical pair mechanism has allowed for theoretical explanation of the fact that magnetic fields are observed to have an effect on chemical reactions. The mechanism describes how an external magnetic field can alter chemical yields by interacting with the spin state of a pair of radicals. In the field of quantum biology, there has been some interest in the application of the mechanism to biological systems. This paper takes an open quantum systems approach to a model of the radical pair mechanism in order to derive a master equation in the Born-Markov approximation for the case of two electrons, each interacting with an environment of nuclear spins as well as the external magnetic field, then placed in a dissipative bosonic bath. This model is used to investigate two different cases relating to radical pair dynamics. The first uses a collective coupling approach to simplify calculations for larger numbers of nuclei interacting with the radical pair. The second looks at the effects of different hyperfine configurations of the radical pair model, for instance the case in which one of the electrons interact with two nuclei with different hyperfine coupling constants. The results of these investigations are analysed to see if they offer any insights into the biological application of the radical pair mechanism in avian magnetoreception.
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