Abstract
Approximately 50 species, including birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, crustaceans and insects, are known to use the Earth's magnetic field for orientation and navigation. Birds in particular have been intensively studied, but the biophysical mechanisms that underlie the avian magnetic compass are still poorly understood. One proposal, based on magnetically sensitive free radical reactions, is gaining support despite the fact that no chemical reaction in vitro has been shown to respond to magnetic fields as weak as the Earth's (∼50 μT) or to be sensitive to the direction of such a field. Here we use spectroscopic observation of a carotenoid-porphyrin-fullerene model system to demonstrate that the lifetime of a photochemically formed radical pair is changed by application of ≤50 μT magnetic fields, and to measure the anisotropic chemical response that is essential for its operation as a chemical compass sensor. These experiments establish the feasibility of chemical magnetoreception and give insight into the structural and dynamic design features required for optimal detection of the direction of the Earth's magnetic field.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 387-390 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Nature |
| Volume | 453 |
| Issue number | 7193 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - May 15 2008 |
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Cite this
Chemical compass model of avian magnetoreception. / Maeda, Kiminori; Henbest, Kevin B.; Cintolesi, Filippo; Kuprov, Ilya; Rodgers, Christopher T.; Liddell, Paul A.; Gust, John Devens; Timmel, Christiane R.; Hore, P. J.
In: Nature, Vol. 453, No. 7193, 15.05.2008, p. 387-390.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Chemical compass model of avian magnetoreception
AU - Maeda, Kiminori
AU - Henbest, Kevin B.
AU - Cintolesi, Filippo
AU - Kuprov, Ilya
AU - Rodgers, Christopher T.
AU - Liddell, Paul A.
AU - Gust, John Devens
AU - Timmel, Christiane R.
AU - Hore, P. J.
PY - 2008/5/15
Y1 - 2008/5/15
N2 - Approximately 50 species, including birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, crustaceans and insects, are known to use the Earth's magnetic field for orientation and navigation. Birds in particular have been intensively studied, but the biophysical mechanisms that underlie the avian magnetic compass are still poorly understood. One proposal, based on magnetically sensitive free radical reactions, is gaining support despite the fact that no chemical reaction in vitro has been shown to respond to magnetic fields as weak as the Earth's (∼50 μT) or to be sensitive to the direction of such a field. Here we use spectroscopic observation of a carotenoid-porphyrin-fullerene model system to demonstrate that the lifetime of a photochemically formed radical pair is changed by application of ≤50 μT magnetic fields, and to measure the anisotropic chemical response that is essential for its operation as a chemical compass sensor. These experiments establish the feasibility of chemical magnetoreception and give insight into the structural and dynamic design features required for optimal detection of the direction of the Earth's magnetic field.
AB - Approximately 50 species, including birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, crustaceans and insects, are known to use the Earth's magnetic field for orientation and navigation. Birds in particular have been intensively studied, but the biophysical mechanisms that underlie the avian magnetic compass are still poorly understood. One proposal, based on magnetically sensitive free radical reactions, is gaining support despite the fact that no chemical reaction in vitro has been shown to respond to magnetic fields as weak as the Earth's (∼50 μT) or to be sensitive to the direction of such a field. Here we use spectroscopic observation of a carotenoid-porphyrin-fullerene model system to demonstrate that the lifetime of a photochemically formed radical pair is changed by application of ≤50 μT magnetic fields, and to measure the anisotropic chemical response that is essential for its operation as a chemical compass sensor. These experiments establish the feasibility of chemical magnetoreception and give insight into the structural and dynamic design features required for optimal detection of the direction of the Earth's magnetic field.
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U2 - 10.1038/nature06834
DO - 10.1038/nature06834
M3 - Article
VL - 453
SP - 387
EP - 390
JO - Nature
JF - Nature
SN - 0028-0836
IS - 7193
ER -