Photoreceptor-based magnetoreception: optimal design of receptor molecules, cells, and neuronal processing.
The sensory basis of magnetoreception in animals still remains a mystery. One hypothesis of magnetoreception is that photochemical radical pair reactions can transduce magnetic information in specialized photoreceptor cells, possibly involving the photoreceptor molecule cryptochrome. This hypothesis triggered a considerable amount of research in the past decade. Here, we present an updated picture of the radical-pair photoreceptor hypothesis. In our review, we will focus on insights that can assist biologists in their search for the elusive magnetoreceptors.
Ritz
Thorsten
T
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA. tritz@uci.edu
Ahmad
Margaret
M
Mouritsen
Henrik
H
Wiltschko
Roswitha
R
Wiltschko
Wolfgang
W
D000818:Animals; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D006801:Humans; D008280:Magnetics; D008954:Models, Biological; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D010465:Perception / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D010786:Photoreceptor Cells / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*