Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Protein complexes

A candidate magnetoreceptor

A protein complex found to align with the direction of a magnetic field could be a key piece in the puzzle of how animals detect magnetic fields.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Schematics of the two main proposed mechanisms for animal magnetoreception.
Figure 2: Schematic (left) and structural model (right) of the putative magnetosensor3.

References

  1. Johnsen, S. & Lohmann, K. J. Nature Rev. Neurosci. 6, 703–712 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Wiltschko, W. & Wiltschko, R. J. Comp. Physiol. A. 191, 675–693 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Qin, S. et al. Nature Mater. 15, 217–226 (2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Lohmann, K. J. Nature 464, 1140–1142 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Winklhofer, M. & Kirschvink, J. L. J. R. Soc. Interface 7, S273–S289 (2010).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Phillips, J. B. & Borland, S. C. Nature 359, 142–144 (1992).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Wiltschko, W., Munro, U., Ford, H. & Wiltschko, R. Nature 364, 525–527 (1993).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Ritz, T., Adem, S. & Schulten, K. Biophys. J. 78, 707–718 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Gegear, R. J., Casselman, A., Waddell, S. & Reppert, S. M. Nature 454, 1014–1018 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Lohmann, K. J. & Lohmann, C. M. F. Biol. Bull. 185, 149–151 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kenneth J. Lohmann.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lohmann, K. A candidate magnetoreceptor. Nature Mater 15, 136–138 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat4550

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat4550

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing