Magnetic sensitivity of cryptochrome 4 from a migratory songbird

Jingjing Xu, Lauren E. Jarocha, Tilo Zollitsch, Marcin Konowalczyk, Kevin B. Henbest, Sabine Richert, Matthew J. Golesworthy, Jessica Schmidt, Victoire Déjean, Daniel J. C. Sowood, Marco Bassetto, Jiate Luo, Jessica R. Walton, Jessica Fleming, Yujing Wei, Tommy L. Pitcher, Gabriel Moise, Maike Herrmann, Hang Yin, Haijia Wu, Rabea Bartölke, Stefanie J. Käsehagen, Simon Horst, Glen Dautaj, Patrick D. F. Murton, Angela S. Gehrckens, Yogarany Chelliah, Joseph S. Takahashi, Karl-Wilhelm Koch, Stefan Weber, Ilia A. Solov’yov (), Can Xie (), Stuart R. Mackenzie (), Christiane R. Timmel (), Henrik Mouritsen () and P. J. Hore ()
Additional contact information
Jingjing Xu: Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg
Lauren E. Jarocha: University of Oxford
Tilo Zollitsch: University of Oxford
Marcin Konowalczyk: University of Oxford
Kevin B. Henbest: University of Oxford
Sabine Richert: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Matthew J. Golesworthy: University of Oxford
Jessica Schmidt: Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg
Victoire Déjean: University of Oxford
Daniel J. C. Sowood: University of Oxford
Marco Bassetto: Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg
Jiate Luo: University of Oxford
Jessica R. Walton: University of Oxford
Jessica Fleming: University of Oxford
Yujing Wei: University of Oxford
Tommy L. Pitcher: University of Oxford
Gabriel Moise: University of Oxford
Maike Herrmann: Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg
Hang Yin: Purdue University
Haijia Wu: Carl-von-Ossietzky-Universität Oldenburg
Rabea Bartölke: Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg
Stefanie J. Käsehagen: Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg
Simon Horst: Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg
Glen Dautaj: Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg
Patrick D. F. Murton: University of Oxford
Angela S. Gehrckens: University of Oxford
Yogarany Chelliah: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Joseph S. Takahashi: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Karl-Wilhelm Koch: Carl-von-Ossietzky-Universität Oldenburg
Stefan Weber: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Ilia A. Solov’yov: University of Oldenburg
Can Xie: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Stuart R. Mackenzie: University of Oxford
Christiane R. Timmel: University of Oxford
Henrik Mouritsen: Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg
P. J. Hore: University of Oxford

Nature, 2021, vol. 594, issue 7864, 535-540

Abstract: Abstract Night-migratory songbirds are remarkably proficient navigators1. Flying alone and often over great distances, they use various directional cues including, crucially, a light-dependent magnetic compass2,3. The mechanism of this compass has been suggested to rely on the quantum spin dynamics of photoinduced radical pairs in cryptochrome flavoproteins located in the retinas of the birds4–7. Here we show that the photochemistry of cryptochrome 4 (CRY4) from the night-migratory European robin (Erithacus rubecula) is magnetically sensitive in vitro, and more so than CRY4 from two non-migratory bird species, chicken (Gallus gallus) and pigeon (Columba livia). Site-specific mutations of ErCRY4 reveal the roles of four successive flavin–tryptophan radical pairs in generating magnetic field effects and in stabilizing potential signalling states in a way that could enable sensing and signalling functions to be independently optimized in night-migratory birds.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03618-9

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