Corinna Langebrake, Georg Manthey, Anders Frederiksen, Juan S Lugo Ramos, Julien Y Dutheil, Raisa Chetverikova, Ilia A Solov'yov, Henrik Mouritsen, Miriam Liedvogel
Migratory birds possess remarkable accuracy in orientation and navigation, which involves various compass systems including the magnetic compass. Identifying the primary magnetosensor remains a fundamental open question. Cryptochromes (Cry) have been shown to be magnetically sensitive, and Cry4a from a migratory songbird seems to show enhanced magnetic sensitivity in vitro compared to Cry4a from resident species. We investigate Cry and their potential involvement in magnetoreception in a phylogenetic framework, integrating molecular evolutionary analyses with protein dynamics modelling...
February 14, 2024: Proceedings. Biological Sciences