TY  - JOUR
A1  - Nießner, Christine
A1  - Denzau, Susanne
A1  - Groß, Julia Christina
A1  - Peichl, Leo
A1  - Bischof, Hans-Joachim
A1  - Fleissner, Gerta
A1  - Wiltschko, Wolfgang
A1  - Wiltschko, Roswitha
T1  - Avian ultraviolet/violet cones identified as probable magnetoreceptors
T2  - PLoS One
N2  - Background: The Radical-Pair-Model postulates that the reception of magnetic compass directions in birds is based on spin-chemical reactions in specialized photopigments in the eye, with cryptochromes discussed as candidate molecules. But so far, the exact subcellular characterization of these molecules in the retina remained unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings: We here describe the localization of cryptochrome 1a (Cry1a) in the retina of European robins, Erithacus rubecula, and domestic chickens, Gallus gallus, two species that have been shown to use the magnetic field for compass orientation. In both species, Cry1a is present exclusively in the ultraviolet/violet (UV/V) cones that are distributed across the entire retina. Electron microscopy shows Cry1a in ordered bands along the membrane discs of the outer segment, and cell fractionation reveals Cry1a in the membrane fraction, suggesting the possibility that Cry1a is anchored along membranes. Conclusions/Significance: We provide first structural evidence that Cry1a occurs within a sensory structure arranged in a way that fulfils essential requirements of the Radical-Pair-Model. Our findings, identifying the UV/V-cones as probable magnetoreceptors, support the assumption that Cry1a is indeed the receptor molecule mediating information on magnetic directions, and thus provide the Radical-Pair-Model with a profound histological background.
Y1  - 2011
UR  - http://publikationen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/22542
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:hebis:30-113979
SN  - 1749-8090
SN  - 1932-6203
N1  - Copyright: © 2011 Nießner et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
VL  - 6
IS  - (5): e20091
PB  - BioMed Central
CY  - London
ER  -