Cryptochrome and magnetosensitivity in Drosophila

果蝇的隐花色素和磁敏感性

基本信息

批准号：
BB/V005987/1
负责人：
Richard Baines
金额：
$ 52.09万
依托单位：
University of Manchester
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2021
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2021 至无数据
项目状态：
未结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FV005987%2F1
关键词：
Cryptochrome magnetosensitivity Drosophila

项目摘要

Many animals use the Earth's magnetic field as a compass and map to aid migration. However, the precise biological origin of animal magnetoreception remains unclear. It is proposed that for an animal to make use of 'geomagnetic' information, there must be something that initially detects the Earth's magnetic field (a 'receptor' or 'sensor') and means by which this information is communicated to critical molecules ('responders') in neurons. Changes triggered in the central nervous system (CNS) result in the animal responding to the magnetic field.Among the proposed primary magnetosensors is the protein CRYPTOCHROME (CRY). However, neither CRY, nor any other proposed magnetoreceptor, has been conclusively shown to directly produce a magnetically-induced response in the activity of the CNS under real-world conditions. In the laboratory, we have used cellular (electrical activity of central neurons) and whole organism (locomotor behaviour) assays to demonstrate a substantial and reproducible CRY-dependent magnetic field effect in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Strikingly, we have shown that this effect persists when just a small fragment of CRY is present. This seriously undermines the established view that only a determined biophysical reaction that requires full-length CRY is necessary and sufficient to make CRY a magnetosensor. Instead, we hypothesize that cells have additional modalities at their disposal to sense magnetic fields. For instance, we have evidence that Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide (FAD), an organic molecule present in all cells, and which CRY binds to, is per se (as a free molecule) receptive to magnetic fields. Therefore, one of our hypotheses is that the magnetic response mediated by the aforementioned small CRY fragment, might reflect an amplification of magnetic sensing by free FAD. The implication is that somehow, free FAD becomes 'coupled' to the small CRY fragment. Alternatively, the 'sensor' could be a different protein able to bind to the CRY fragment. What we think is key to CRY's role, is its ability to bring the 'sensor' near the cellular 'responders', which requires amino acid motifs carried by the small CRY fragment. We will test these hypotheses using genetics and biochemistry to set the scene and then by conducting neurobiological and behavioural investigations. A positive outcome will have a significant impact to the field by establishing a new way of thinking about magnetoreception in animal cells.

许多动物将地球的磁场用作指南针和地图来帮助迁移。然而，动物磁受体的精确生物学起源尚不清楚。有人提出，要使用“地磁”信息，必须有一些最初检测到地球磁场（A受体'或“传感器”）的东西，以及将这些信息传达给神经元中关键分子（“响应者”）的手段。中枢神经系统（CNS）触发的变化会导致动物对磁场的反应。在提出的原代磁铁传感器中，是蛋白质加密型（CRY）。但是，尚未最终证明哭泣或任何其他提出的磁受体，它直接在现实世界中的中枢神经系统的活性中直接产生磁诱导的反应。在实验室中，我们使用了细胞（中枢神经元的电活动）和整个生物体（运动行为）测定法，以证明果蝇果蝇中果蝇中的大量且可重复的cry依赖性磁场效应。令人惊讶的是，我们已经表明，当仅存在一小片哭泣时，这种效果仍然存在。这严重破坏了既定的观点，即只有需要全长哭泣的确定的生物物理反应是必要的，足以使哭泣成为磁性传感器。取而代之的是，我们假设细胞具有额外的方式，可以感知磁场。例如，我们有证据表明黄素腺嘌呤二核苷酸（FAD）是所有细胞中存在的有机分子，并且哭泣与磁场的结合本身是（作为自由分子）。因此，我们的假设之一是由上述小哭泣片段介导的磁反应可能反映出自由流行的磁传感的扩增。这意味着某种程度上，自由时尚成为“耦合”到小哭泣片段。另外，“传感器”可能是一种能够结合哭泣片段的蛋白质。我们认为，哭泣的角色的关键是它可以将“传感器”在细胞“响应者”附近带来的能力，这需要小哭泣片段带来的氨基酸图案。我们将使用遗传学和生物化学来测试这些假设，以设置现场，然后进行神经生物学和行为研究。积极的结果将通过建立一种关于动物细胞中磁受伤的新方法对现场产生重大影响。

项目成果

期刊论文数量（3）

专著数量（0）

科研奖励数量（0）

会议论文数量（0）

专利数量（0）

Essential elements of radical pair magnetosensitivity in Drosophila.

DOI：
10.1038/s41586-023-05735-z
发表时间：
2023-03
期刊：
NATURE
影响因子：
64.8
作者：
Bradlaugh, Adam A.;Fedele, Giorgio;Munro, Anna L.;Hansen, Celia Napier;Hares, John M.;Patel, Sanjai;Kyriacou, Charalambos P.;Jones, Alex R.;Rosato, Ezio;Baines, Richard A.
通讯作者：
Baines, Richard A.

Exploiting the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster, to identify the molecular basis of cryptochrome-dependent magnetosensitivity