Adaptive evolution and loss of a putative magnetoreceptor in passerines.

ABSTRACT: Migratory birds possess remarkable accuracy in orientation and navigation, which involves various compass systems including the magnetic compass. Identifying the primary magnetosensor remains a fundamental open question. Cryptochromes (Cry) have been shown to be magnetically sensitive, and Cry4a from a migratory songbird seems to show enhanced magnetic sensitivity in vitro compared to Cry4a from resident species. We investigate Cry and their potential involvement in magnetoreception in a phylogenetic framework, integrating molecular evolutionary analyses with protein dynamics modelling. Our analysis is based on 363 bird genomes and identifies different selection regimes in passerines. We show that Cry4a is characterized by strong positive selection and high variability, typical char

SUBMITTER: Langebrake C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10846946 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature