Human cryptochrome exhibits light-dependent magnetosensitivity

Humans are not believed to have a magnetic sense, even though many animals use the Earth's magnetic field for orientation and navigation. One model of magnetosensing in animals proposes that geomagnetic fields are perceived by light-sensitive chemical reactions involving the flavoprotein cryptochrome (CRY). Here we show using a transgenic approach that human CRY2, which is heavily expressed in the retina, can function as a magnetosensor in the magnetoreception system of Drosophila and that it does so in a light-dependent manner. The results show that human CRY2 has the molecular capability to function as a light-sensitive magnetosensor and reopen an area of sensory biology that is ready for further exploration in humans

Targeting the subthalamic nucleus for deep brain stimulation: technical approach and fusion of pre- and postoperative MR images to define accuracy of lead placement

Objectives: To define the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and intraoperative electrophysiological recording in targeting the subthalamic nucleus (STN) in Parkinson's disease and to determine accuracy of electrode placement. Patients and methods: We implanted 54 electrodes into the STN in 27 patients. Target planning was done by coordinate guidelines and visualising the STN on MRI and defined in relation to the mid-point of the AC–PC line. Intraoperative microelectrode recording was used. We adjusted electrode positions for placement in the centre of the STN electrical activity and verified this on postoperative MRI in 16 cases, which were fused to the preoperative images to measure actual error in electrode placement in the three axes. Results: Based on coordinate calculation and MRI localisation, the mean of the target was 11.5 mm lateral, 2.5 mm posterior and 4.1 mm inferior to the mid-point of the AC–PC line. Fifty good electrophysiological recordings of the STN (average length 4.65 mm) were achieved and target point adjusted in 90% of lead placements. The mean of the final target after electrophysiological correction was 11.7 mm lateral, 2.1 mm posterior, and 3.8 mm inferior to the mid-point. The distance from the centre of the electrode artefact to the final target used after electrophysiological recording on the fused images was 0.48 mm, 0.69 mm, and 2.9 mm in the x, y, and z axes, respectively. No postoperative MRI related complication was observed. Conclusion: Both direct visualisation of the STN on MRI and intraoperative electrophysiological recording are important in defining the best target. Individual variations exist in the location of the STN target. Fewer tracks were required to define STN activity on the side operated first. Our current stereotactic method of electrode placement is relatively accurate

Female discharges are more electrifying: spontaneous preference in the electric fish, Eigenmannia (Gymnotiformes, Teleostei)

The tropical South American teleost Eigenmannia lineata showed a spontaneous preference for the female type, compared with the male type, of its sexually dimorphic, weak-electric organ discharge (EOD). Female and male EODs differ in waveform and harmonic content. An isolated fish was simultaneously stimulated with digitally synthesized "natural" male and female EODs of equal peak-to-peak amplitudes, at _+35 Hz frequency difference centered on its stable resting discharge frequency. The stimulus dipoles were arranged symmetrically to the right and left of the fish's hiding place. All stimulus conditions were permuted at random sequence. Among 11 fish tested, 8 showed a statistically significant preference for one stimulus, the female type, as measured by the amount of time a fish spent close to a stimulus dipole (P< 0.05 in each fish, two-tailed). Thus female EODs rather than male EODs were more attractive to adult and juvenile fish of both sexes. It was also concluded that E. lineata is capable of discriminating female from male EODs by a complex sensory capacity requiring neither amplitude nor frequency cues. The EOD waveform changed very little within the ecological range of water conductivities (approximately 10-100 gS.cm 1); the P/N-ratio (a waveform character based on zerocrossing intervals) depended only weakly, but significantly, on conductivity (negative correlation in all four fish). Also, the effect of temperature on EOD waveform was very weak: Q~o-values of the P/N-ratio were below but close to I in all fish (27_+5 ~ C). Thus, it can be concluded that the EOD waveform is remarkably stable within widely changing conditions - even beyond the variation found in the field - and is therefore potentially useful as a social cue

The EOD Sound Response in Weakly Electric Fish

1. A spontaneous EOD response to sound is described in two gymnotoids of the pulse Electric Organ Discharge (EOD) type, Hypopomus and Gymnotus, and in one mormyrid, Brienomyrus (Figs. 2-4). 2. In all three species, the EOD response to the sound onset was a transient EOD rate increase. In the low EOD rate Hypopomus (3-6 EODs/s at rest) the first, second, or third EOD interval following sound onset was significantly shorter than the average EOD interval before stimulation. The shortest latency found was 100 ms, the longest ca. 1.2 s. Gymnotus (around 50 EODs/s at rest) responded similarly, but the third interval after sound onset was the first to be affected even at highest intensities (shortest latencies approx. 60 ms; latencies >0.5 s at low sound intensities). In Brienomyrus (4-8 EODs/s at rest) the response occurred already at the first EOD interval after sound onset. 3. An EOD sound response was recorded in Hypoporous and in Gymnotus up to 5,000 Hz sound frequency (in one Gymnotus individual: up to 7,000 Hz). Due to technical limitations the low frequency limit of the response could not be exactly determined: the fishes responded well even below 100 Hz. Hypopomus had its maximum sensitivity around 500 Hz (Fig. 5), Gymnotus around 1,000 Hz (Fig. 6). 4. In all three species the EOD sound response was graded with sound intensity (Hypopomus: Fig. 7). 5. No EOD response to sound was found in two gymnotoids of the wave type, Eigenmannia and Apteronotus, and in the gymnotoid pulse fish Rhamphichthys. A criterion is proposed by which it should be possible to predict whether or not a weakly electric fish species will show the EOD sound response. 6. It is concluded that the EOD response to sound is similar to EOD responses to other kinds of stimulation (light, touch, vibration, food, and even electrical). The possible biological function is discussed