Light-dependent Magnetoreception in Birds: the Crucial Step Occurs in the Dark

Overview

Journal J R Soc Interface

Specialties Biology
Biomedical Engineering
Biophysics

Date 2016 May 6

PMID 27146685

Citations 33

Authors

Roswitha Wiltschko

Margaret Ahmad

Christine Niessner

Dennis Gehring

Wolfgang Wiltschko

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The Radical Pair Model proposes that the avian magnetic compass is based on spin-chemical processes: since the ratio between the two spin states singlet and triplet of radical pairs depends on their alignment in the magnetic field, it can provide information on magnetic directions. Cryptochromes, blue light-absorbing flavoproteins, with flavin adenine dinucleotide as chromophore, are suggested as molecules forming the radical pairs underlying magnetoreception. When activated by light, cryptochromes undergo a redox cycle, in the course of which radical pairs are generated during photo-reduction as well as during light-independent re-oxidation. This raised the question as to which radical pair is crucial for mediating magnetic directions. Here, we present the results from behavioural experiments with intermittent light and magnetic field pulses that clearly show that magnetoreception is possible in the dark interval, pointing to the radical pair formed during flavin re-oxidation. This differs from the mechanism considered for cryptochrome signalling the presence of light and rules out most current models of an avian magnetic compass based on the radical pair generated during photo-reduction. Using the radical pair formed during re-oxidation may represent a specific adaptation of the avian magnetic compass.

Citing Articles

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Cryptochrome magnetoreception: Time course of photoactivation from non-equilibrium coarse-grained molecular dynamics.

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Magnetosensitivity of tightly bound radical pairs in cryptochrome is enabled by the quantum Zeno effect.

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Avian cryptochrome 4 binds superoxide.

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