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Ref. Panagopoulos, D.J., Karabarbounis, A. & Chrousos, G.P. Biophysical mechanism of animal magnetoreception, orientation and navigation. Sci Rep 14, 30053 (2024) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-77883-9

Summary

The authors describe a biophysical mechanism for animal magnetoreception, orientation and navigation in the geomagnetic field (GMF), based on the ion forced oscillation (IFO) mechanism in animal cell membrane voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs) (IFO-VGIC mechanism).

•Review of Hypotheses We review previously suggested hypotheses; describe the structure and function of VGICs and argue that they are the most sensitive electromagnetic sensors in all animals.

•Magnetic Forces on Ions: We consider the magnetic force exerted by the GMF on a mobile ion within a VGIC of an animal with periodic velocity variation.

•IFO Equation Application: We apply this force in the IFO equation resulting in solution connecting the GMF intensity with the velocity variation rate.

•Key Findings: We show that animals with periodic velocity variations, receive oscillating forces on their mobile ions within VGICs, which are forced to oscillate exerting forces on the voltage sensors of the channels, similar to or greater than the forces from membrane voltage changes that normally induce gating.

•Conclusion: Thus, the GMF in combination with the varying animal velocity can gate VGICs and alter cell homeostasis to a degree depending, for a given velocity and velocity variation rate, on GMF intensity, that is unique in each latitude, and the angle between the velocity and GMF axis, which determine animal position and orientation.

Graphical Summary of the mechanism of animal magnetoreception, orientation, and navigation.

Comments by Dimitris J. Panagopoulos (PhD), (EMF-biophysicist, National Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece)

This study resolves one of the greatest enigmas in science that had remained unexplained
till today: How migrating animals orient and navigate on Earth, traveling many thousands of
kilometers and finding exact locations. In other words, how animals sense the GMF intensity and
direction, and finally, how they can sense electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in general.

According to Johnsen and Lohmann (2008), “determining how animals orient themselves using Earth’s magnetic field can be even more difficult than finding a needle in a haystack. It is like finding a needle in astack of needles.”

The basic IFO-VGIC model for the action of EMFs on cells

The basic IFO-VGIC model for the action of EMFs on cells has been published since 2000 in successive publications (Panagopoulos et al 2000; 2002; 2015; 2021; 2024) and is widely recognized as an accepted mechanism, referenced until today in more than 1,000 other scientific publications. It has explained, among other phenomena, the sensing of atmospheric discharges (lightning) by sensitive individuals (Panagopoulos and Balmori 2017) and the sensing of upcoming earthquakes by animals (Panagopoulos et al 2020), in addition to the explanation of all known bioeffects of man-made EMFs. Yet, it was unnoticed by people working on animal magnetoreception who insisted on complicated hypotheses involving “magnetite” or “light-induced cryptochrome radical-pairs”, and hypothetical cells/organs named “magnetoreceptors” or “electroreceptors” supposedly located in the eyes, or the ears, or even the hair of various animals.

This publication points out the impossibilities of those hypotheses, and illuminates the fact that all cells in
all animals (and even plants), especially nerve and brain cells, are equipped with VGICs, the most
abundant type of ion channels in all cell membranes and the most sensitive electro-magneto-receptors.

The study, together with the ample experimental evidence that man-made EMFs at even very low
intensities can affect VGICs and modify ion currents, is an additional confirmation of the IFO-VGIC
mechanism which explains all known biological and health effects of both the totally polarized man-
made EMFs, and those natural EMFs that are significantly polarized such as the GMF.

Finally, this
publication is the answer to those who still claim that “there is no accepted mechanism for EMF-
bioeffects”.

Source: New Scientific Publication by Panagopoulos et al., 2024 https://www.emfsa.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/New-scientific-publication-by-Panagopoulos-DJ-et-al.pdf

Conclusion

This study not only elucidates the mechanisms behind animal navigation and magnetoreception but also highlights the broader implications of VGIC sensitivity to electromagnetic fields. For further insights into this topic, explore the comprehensive works of Dr. Panagopoulos https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Dimitris-Panagopoulos-3

• Related Reading: Electromagnetic Fields of Wireless Communications: Biological and Health Effects, edited by Dimitris J. Panagopoulos, CRC Press (2019). This book explores bioeffects of EMFs in greater detail and is now available in a softcover edition at reduced cost.

• Video 2019: Dr. Dimitris Panagopoulos: Electromagnetic Fields – Health Effects – Mechanism of Action https://www.emfsa.co.za/videos/dr-dimitris-panagopoulos-electromagnetic-fields-health-effects-mechanism-of-action/

https://www.emfsa.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/New-scientific-publication-by-Panagopoulos-DJ-et-al.pdf

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Abstract

The biophysical mechanism of the magnetic compass sensor in migratory songbirds is thought to involve photo-induced radical pairs formed in cryptochrome (Cry) flavoproteins located in photoreceptor cells in the eyes. In Cry4a-the most likely of the six known avian Crys to have a magnetic sensing function-four radical pair states are formed sequentially by the stepwise transfer of an electron along a chain of four tryptophan residues to the photo-excited flavin. In purified Cry4a from the migratory European robin, the third of these flavin-tryptophan radical pairs is more magnetically sensitive than the fourth, consistent with the smaller separation of the radicals in the former. Here, we explore the idea that these two radical pair states of Cry4a could exist in rapid dynamic equilibrium such that the key magnetic and kinetic properties are weighted averages. Spin dynamics simulations suggest that the third radical pair is largely responsible for magnetic sensing while the fourth may be better placed to initiate magnetic signalling particularly if the terminal tryptophan radical can be reduced by a nearby tyrosine. Such an arrangement could have allowed independent optimization of the essential sensing and signalling functions of the protein. It might also rationalize why avian Cry4a has four tryptophans while Crys from plants have only three.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34753309/

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Abstract

Ambient levels of electromagnetic fields (EMF) have risen sharply in the last 80 years, creating a novel energetic exposure that previously did not exist. Most recent decades have seen exponential increases in nearly all environments, including rural/remote areas and lower atmospheric regions. Because of unique physiologies, some species of flora and fauna are sensitive to exogenous EMF in ways that may surpass human reactivity. There is limited, but comprehensive, baseline data in the U.S. from the 1980s against which to compare significant new surveys from different countries. This now provides broader and more precise data on potential transient and chronic exposures to wildlife and habitats. Biological effects have been seen broadly across all taxa and frequencies at vanishingly low intensities comparable to today’s ambient exposures. Broad wildlife effects have been seen on orientation and migration, food finding, reproduction, mating, nest and den building, territorial maintenance and defense, and longevity and survivorship. Cyto- and geno-toxic effects have been observed. The above issues are explored in three consecutive parts: Part 1 questions today’s ambient EMF capabilities to adversely affect wildlife, with more urgency regarding 5G technologies. Part 2 explores natural and man-made fields, animal magnetoreception mechanisms, and pertinent studies to all wildlife kingdoms. Part 3 examines current exposure standards, applicable laws, and future directions. It is time to recognize ambient EMF as a novel form of pollution and develop rules at regulatory agencies that designate air as ‘habitat’ so EMF can be regulated like other pollutants. Wildlife loss is often unseen and undocumented until tipping points are reached. Long-term chronic low-level EMF exposure standards, which do not now exist, should be set accordingly for wildlife, and environmental laws should be strictly enforced.

© 2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34047144/

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Abstract

The intrinsic earth magnetic field (geomagnetic field, GMF) provides an essential environmental condition for most living organisms to adapt the solar cycle by rhythmically synchronizing physiological and behavioral processes. However, hypomagnetic field (HMF) of outer space, the Moon, and the Mars differs much from GMF, which poses a critical problem to astronauts during long-term interplanetary missions. Multiple experimental works have been devoted to the HMF effects on circadian rhythm and found that HMF perturbs circadian rhythms and profoundly contributes to health problems such as sleep disorders, altered metabolic as well as neurological diseases. By systemizing the latest progress on interdisciplinary cooperation between magnetobiology and chronobiology, this review sheds light on the health effects of HMF on circadian rhythms by elaborating the underlying circadian clock machinery and molecular processes.

Copyright © 2021 Xue, Ali, Luo, Liu, Zhou and Liu.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33767637/

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Abstract

Several marine species have developed a magnetic perception that is essential for navigation and detection of prey and predators. One of these species is the transparent glass catfish that contains an ampullary organ dedicated to sense magnetic fields. Here we examine the behavior of the glass catfish in response to static magnetic fields which will provide valuable insight on function of this magnetic response. By utilizing state of the art animal tracking software and artificial intelligence approaches, we quantified the effects of magnetic fields on the swimming direction of glass catfish. The results demonstrate that glass catfish placed in a radial arm maze, consistently swim away from magnetic fields over 20 μT and show adaptability to changing magnetic field direction and location.

Excerpt

We have established that the glass catfish has unique magnetic field sensing capabilities that position it as a valuable model to study magnetoreception in animal species. The cellular mechanisms allowing this capability remains to be determined. We have already identified and cloned the EPG from glass catfish. But is this the only magnetic-sensitive protein? Does it work with other proteins to amplify and modulate its activity? Do other animal species that have been shown to be sensitive to magnetic fields have similar proteins? This animal model can provide key information to address these questions. By characterizing the behavior of glass catfish, we are now working towards developing a fish with a knock-out in the EPG gene. This will elucidate if there are additional genes associated with magnetic responses and will facilitate the development of the next generation of additional magnetic sensing molecular tools.

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0248141

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Some animals can sense magnetic fields and use them for orientation. Various mechanisms have been discussed in this regard, yet little is known about whether and if so, where such sensory structures to detect static magnetic fields exist in these animals.

The study by Nimpf et al. (2019) explored such structures in the inner ear of pigeons. The aim was to show that certain structures and cells in the inner ear detect magnetic fields independent of light. They found that magnetic stimuli (150 µT, rotating 360° in steps) activate neurons in the vestibular nucleus of pigeons exposed in Helmholtz coils.

Neuronal activity markers such as the C-FOS protein, which responds very quickly to a variety of stimuli, were used as biomarkers. These stimuli induce a voltage in a semicircular canal, and magnetic fields are thereby detected by electroreceptive sensors through electromagnetic induction.

The authors showed that magnetic field stimulation leads to voltage spikes (1.4 µV) in channel-like structures in cells of the inner ear, facilitating the perception of magnetic fields. A certain orientation of the magnetic field is necessary for detection. This voltage-dependent calcium channel (Cav1.3, long form) has already been described in sharks and skates. The study involved both experimental investigations and theoretical calculations. The detection of the magnetic field could be demonstrated independent of light stimuli.

These new findings are interesting because they corroborate previous studies and support the presence of structures in the inner ear, which can detect electrical activity independently of light

Subsequent experiments that could provide further evidence include:

1. pharmacological intervention in the calcium channels, 2. ablation (targeted destruction) of the hair cells with antibiotics and/or 3. genetic manipulation of the calcium channel.

Nimpf S, Nordmann GC, Kagerbauer D, Malkemper EP, Landler L, Papadaki-Anastasopoulou A, Ushakova L, Wenninger-Weinzierl A, Novatchkova M, Vincent P, Lendl T, Colombini M, Mason MJ, Keays DA (2019): A Putative Mechanism for Magnetoreception by Electromagnetic Induction in the Pigeon Inner Ear. Curr Biol. 2019 Dec 2;29(23):4052-4059.e4. Epub 2019 Nov 14.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31735675

Source: https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/en/home/topics/electrosmog/newsletter-of-the-swiss-expert-group-on-electromagnetic-fields-a.html

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Note: These newsletters were prepared under contract to the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). The Swiss expert group on electromagnetic fields and non-ionising radiation (BERENIS) bears sole responsibility for the content.

Summaries and assessments of selected studies
In the period from beginning of May to mid of July 2020, 65 new publications have been identified, and seven of these were discussed in depth by BERENIS. Based on the selection criteria, three of these publications were selected as the most relevant ones.

1) Experimental animal and cell studies
Magnetoreception in the inner ear of pigeons (Nimpf et al. 2019)

2) Promotion of cell ageing by radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (LTE signal)? (Choi et al. 2020)

3) Epidemiological studies
Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields and brain volume in preadolescents (Cabré-Riera et al. 2020)

Source: https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/en/home/topics/electrosmog/newsletter-of-the-swiss-expert-group-on-electromagnetic-fields-a.html

Summaries and assessments are provided in the pdf https://www.emfsa.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Newsletter-BERENIS-Nr.-24-March-2021-1.pdf

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First direct observation of magnetic field affecting autofluorescence of flavins in living cells.

Summary: New research shows how X-Men villain Magneto’s super powers could really work. Researchers have made the first observations of biological magnetoreception – live, unaltered cells responding to a magnetic field in real time. This discovery is a crucial step in understanding how animals from birds to butterflies navigate using Earth’s magnetic field and addressing the question of whether weak electromagnetic fields in our environment might affect human health.

FULL STORY

Researchers in Japan have made the first observations of biological magnetoreception — live, unaltered cells responding to a magnetic field in real time. This discovery is a crucial step in understanding how animals from birds to butterflies navigate using Earth’s magnetic field and addressing the question of whether weak electromagnetic fields in our environment might affect human health.

“The joyous thing about this research is to see that the relationship between the spins of two individual electrons can have a major effect on biology,” said Professor Jonathan Woodward from the University of Tokyo, who conducted the research with doctoral student Noboru Ikeya. The results were recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).

Researchers have suspected since the 1970s that because magnets can attract and repel electrons, Earth’s magnetic field, also called the geomagnetic field, could influence animal behavior by affecting chemical reactions. When some molecules are excited by light, an electron can jump from one molecule to another and create two molecules with single electrons, known as a radical pair. The single electrons can exist in one of two different spin states. If the two radicals have the same electron spin, their subsequent chemical reactions are slow, while radical pairs with opposite electron spins can react faster. Magnetic fields can influence electron spin states and thus directly influence chemical reactions involving radical pairs. Read more at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210105104832.htm

Article Reference: University of Tokyo. “Magnets dim natural glow of human cells, may shed light on how animals migrate: First direct observation of magnetic field affecting autofluorescence of flavins in living cells.” ScienceDaily. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210105104832.htm>

Journal Reference:

1. Noboru Ikeya, Jonathan R. Woodward. Cellular autofluorescence is magnetic field sensitive. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2021; 118 (3): e2018043118 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2018043118

Significance

The radical pair mechanism is the favored hypothesis for explaining biological effects of weak magnetic fields, such as animal magnetoreception and possible adverse health effects. To date, however, there is no direct experimental evidence for magnetic effects on radical pair reactions in cells, the fundamental building blocks of living systems. In this paper, using a custom-built microscope, we demonstrate that flavin-based autofluorescence in native, untreated HeLa cells is magnetic field sensitive, due to the formation and electron spin–selective recombination of spin-correlated radical pairs. This work thus provides a direct link between magnetic field effects on chemical reactions measured in solution and chemical reactions taking place in living cells.

Abstract

We demonstrate, by direct, single-cell imaging kinetic measurements, that endogenous autofluorescence in HeLa cells is sensitive to the application of external magnetic fields of 25 mT and less. We provide spectroscopic and mechanistic evidence that our findings can be explained in terms of magnetic field effects on photoinduced electron transfer reactions to flavins, through the radical pair mechanism. The observed magnetic field dependence is consistent with a triplet-born radical pair and a B_1/2 value of 18.0 mT with a saturation value of 3.7%.

https://www.pnas.org/content/118/3/e2018043118

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Abstract

It is known that animals are sensitive to the geomagnetic field. In the case of insects, magnetoreception has been reported in several ant species and in some bees and wasps. One study showed that the stingless bee Tetragonisca angustula is able to sense the modification of the magnetic field inclination. The aim of the present manuscript is to continue that study in T. angustula, analyzing the nest arrival and departure angles in the presence of magnetic fields generated by magnets. The bees flying to and from the nest were recorded and the flying trajectories were obtained by analyzing the video frame by frame. The magnetic field was generated by 6, 9, or 12 magnets contained inside an Eppendorf tube and fixed near the nest. Our results show that T. angustula bees are sensitive to magnetic fields because the departure angles are influenced by the magnets. It was observed that these bees are sensitive to the polarization of the magnetic field vector that influences the choice of flying up or down, and this sensitivity has a window until about 80 μT (about four times the local geomagnetic field), with the magnetic field information for higher magnetic field intensities being ignored by the bees. © 2020 Bioelectromagnetics Society.

© 2020 Bioelectromagnetics Society.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33326627/

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