Spontaneous magnetic orientation in larval Drosophila shares properties with learned magnetic compass responses in adult flies and mice
(2013) In Journal of Experimental Biology 216(7). p.1307-1316- Abstract
- We provide evidence for spontaneous quadramodal magnetic orientation in a larval insect. Second instar Berlin, Canton-S and Oregon-R x Canton-S strains of Drosophila melanogaster exhibited quadramodal orientation with clusters of bearings along the four anti-cardinal compass directions (i.e. 45, 135, 225 and 315 deg). In double-blind experiments, Canton-S Drosophila larvae also exhibited quadramodal orientation in the presence of an earth-strength magnetic field, while this response was abolished when the horizontal component of the magnetic field was cancelled, indicating that the quadramodal behavior is dependent on magnetic cues, and that the spontaneous alignment response may reflect properties of the underlying magnetoreception... (More)
- We provide evidence for spontaneous quadramodal magnetic orientation in a larval insect. Second instar Berlin, Canton-S and Oregon-R x Canton-S strains of Drosophila melanogaster exhibited quadramodal orientation with clusters of bearings along the four anti-cardinal compass directions (i.e. 45, 135, 225 and 315 deg). In double-blind experiments, Canton-S Drosophila larvae also exhibited quadramodal orientation in the presence of an earth-strength magnetic field, while this response was abolished when the horizontal component of the magnetic field was cancelled, indicating that the quadramodal behavior is dependent on magnetic cues, and that the spontaneous alignment response may reflect properties of the underlying magnetoreception mechanism. In addition, a re-analysis of data from studies of learned magnetic compass orientation by adult Drosophila melanogaster and C57BL/6 mice revealed patterns of response similar to those exhibited by larval flies, suggesting that a common magnetoreception mechanism may underlie these behaviors. Therefore, characterizing the mechanism(s) of magnetoreception in flies may hold the key to understanding the magnetic sense in a wide array of terrestrial organisms. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/3636067
- author
- Painter, Michael S. ; Dommer, David H. ; Altizer, William W. ; Muheim, Rachel LU and Phillips, John B.
- organization
- publishing date
- 2013
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- alignment, quadramodal, light dependent, magnetite, magnetoreception, orientation
- in
- Journal of Experimental Biology
- volume
- 216
- issue
- 7
- pages
- 1307 - 1316
- publisher
- The Company of Biologists Ltd
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000316115400029
- scopus:84876117088
- pmid:23239891
- ISSN
- 1477-9145
- DOI
- 10.1242/jeb.077404
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 0541d2bd-6ba8-46bc-a1c5-ba65d5655a53 (old id 3636067)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 10:32:42
- date last changed
- 2022-03-19 21:50:01
@article{0541d2bd-6ba8-46bc-a1c5-ba65d5655a53,
abstract = {{We provide evidence for spontaneous quadramodal magnetic orientation in a larval insect. Second instar Berlin, Canton-S and Oregon-R x Canton-S strains of Drosophila melanogaster exhibited quadramodal orientation with clusters of bearings along the four anti-cardinal compass directions (i.e. 45, 135, 225 and 315 deg). In double-blind experiments, Canton-S Drosophila larvae also exhibited quadramodal orientation in the presence of an earth-strength magnetic field, while this response was abolished when the horizontal component of the magnetic field was cancelled, indicating that the quadramodal behavior is dependent on magnetic cues, and that the spontaneous alignment response may reflect properties of the underlying magnetoreception mechanism. In addition, a re-analysis of data from studies of learned magnetic compass orientation by adult Drosophila melanogaster and C57BL/6 mice revealed patterns of response similar to those exhibited by larval flies, suggesting that a common magnetoreception mechanism may underlie these behaviors. Therefore, characterizing the mechanism(s) of magnetoreception in flies may hold the key to understanding the magnetic sense in a wide array of terrestrial organisms.}},
author = {{Painter, Michael S. and Dommer, David H. and Altizer, William W. and Muheim, Rachel and Phillips, John B.}},
issn = {{1477-9145}},
keywords = {{alignment; quadramodal; light dependent; magnetite; magnetoreception; orientation}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{7}},
pages = {{1307--1316}},
publisher = {{The Company of Biologists Ltd}},
series = {{Journal of Experimental Biology}},
title = {{Spontaneous magnetic orientation in larval Drosophila shares properties with learned magnetic compass responses in adult flies and mice}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.077404}},
doi = {{10.1242/jeb.077404}},
volume = {{216}},
year = {{2013}},
}