Cryptochromes are a ubiquitous group of blue-light absorbing flavoproteins that in the mammalian retina have an important role in the circadian clock. In birds, cryptochrome 1a (Cry1a), localized in the UV/violet-sensitive S1 cone photoreceptors, is proposed to be the retinal receptor molecule of the light-dependent magnetic compass. The retinal localization of mammalian Cry1, homologue to avian Cry1a, is unknown, and it is open whether mammalian Cry1 is also involved in magnetic field sensing. To constrain the possible role of retinal Cry1, we immunohistochemically analysed 90 mammalian species across 48 families in 16 orders, using an antiserum against the Cry1 C-terminus that in birds labels only the photo-activated conformation. In the Carnivora families Canidae, Mustelidae and Ursidae, and in some Primates, Cry1 was consistently labeled in the outer segment of the shortwave-sensitive S1 cones. This finding would be compatible with a magnetoreceptive function of Cry1 in these taxa. In all other taxa, Cry1 was not detected by the antiserum that likely also in mammals labels the photo-activated conformation, although Western blots showed Cry1 in mouse retinal cell nuclei. We speculate that in the mouse and the other negative-tested mammals Cry1 is involved in circadian functions as a non-light-responsive protein.

• MeSH
• antisérum chemie   MeSH
• Canidae fyziologie   MeSH
• čípky retiny - opsiny genetika   MeSH
• čípky retiny fyziologie   účinky záření   ultrastruktura   MeSH
• cirkadiánní rytmus fyziologie   účinky záření   MeSH
• exprese genu MeSH
• fylogeneze * MeSH
• Hominidae fyziologie   MeSH
• imunohistochemie MeSH
• konformace proteinů MeSH
• kryptochromy chemie   genetika   MeSH
• magnetické pole MeSH
• medvědovití fyziologie   MeSH
• Mustelidae fyziologie   MeSH
• proteinové domény MeSH
• ptáci fyziologie   MeSH
• savci klasifikace   fyziologie   MeSH
• světlo MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH