Cryptochrome: A photoreceptor with the properties of a magnetoreceptor?
Open accessAbstract
It was recently discovered that the photoreceptor cryptochrome is involved in mediating magnetosensitive entrainment of the internal clock of fruit flies.1 This discovery follows other recent studies implicating a role of cryptochrome in mediating magnetic sensitivity in orientation responses of fruit flies2,3 and growth responses of plants.4 Such widespread use of the same molecule for mediating magnetic sensitivity might suggest that cryptochrome is in some way optimal for detecting the magnetic field of the earth and that the magnetoreception function cannot be easily taken over by other molecules. This raises the question what properties might set cryptochromes apart from other molecules in terms of their ability to detect the geomagnetic field. Here, we will discuss possible answers to this question. We will first review the likely biophysical mechanism by which magnetic fields can be detected by a photoreceptor and discuss what constitutes an optimal photo-magneto-receptor. We will then discuss in how far cryptochrome matches the profile of an optimal molecule and what further steps are required for more conclusive answers.
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There is evidence that in plants, weak magnetic fields enhance cryptochrome responses.
“There is evidence that in plants, weak magnetic fields enhance cryptochrome responses [100].”
From The future of quantum biology (2018) · cites this paper as [100]
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“If the internal magnetic fields are anisotropic, then the effect of the geomagnetic field depends not only on its intensity, but also on its direction, thereby potentially creating a magnetic compass.(5) The physical chemistry of this mechanism is well understood(6) and one can even design molecules that are sensitive…”
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- Authors
- Ritz, T., Yoshii, T., Foerster, C., & Ahmad, M.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Irvine (US)
- University of Regensburg (DE)
- Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie (FR)
- Corresponding author
- Ahmad, Margaret
- Venue
- Communicative & Integrative Biology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2010-01
- Volume
- 3
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 24-27
- ISSN
- 1942-0889 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC2881235
- OpenAlex
- W3015282995
- Cited by
- 45
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 0.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc
- Locations
- Communicative & Integrative Biology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biophysics › Electromagnetic Fields and Biological Effects
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies
- Keywords
- cryptochrome, magnetoreception, photoreceptors, fruit flies, circadian entrainment, geomagnetic field detection, magnetic field sensitivity
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