Abstract
Magnetoreception is the ability of some organisms to detect the Earth’s magnetic fields and use them to aid in processing directional information required for migration and/or homing. In recent decades, Burmese pythons have become a danger to the ecological balance of the Florida Everglades. Little is known about the snakes’ navigational mechanisms that may facilitate their success beyond the Everglades. Due to this lack of study and the impact such information might have, this research focuses on broadening our understanding of their biological orientation capabilities. Here, I hypothesize that pythons have cellular machinery that can allow them to use Earth’s magnetic fields to navigate their environment. Specifically, pathways that involve the iron storage protein ferritin and a TRPV mechanoreceptor can be used to detect magnetic field information and convert it to signal useable by the brain. Ferritin is present in most organisms, and it is essential for processing unregulated free iron in the body. Its hollow center houses a ferric ion (Fe3+), which contains unpair electrons, rendering paramagnetic, or weakly attracted to a magnet. TRPs are voltage-gated ion channels and are best known for its roles in responses to noxious chemicals, thermal stimuli and a large variety of physical stimuli, including light, temperature, pressure and pH changes. In response to a magnetic field, ferritin may gate TRP channels, permitting the influx of ions, creating a transduction of electrical signals. Alternatively, pythons could use cellular components such as cryptochrome, FAD and Trp, that, when activated by blue light, generate electron flow that ultimately results in an electrical signal to the brain. To identify and evaluate the distribution of molecules with a role in magnetoreception, I labeled ferritin, iron, TRPV1, and CRY in python retina and olfactory mucosa using immunohistochemical and nanotechnological procedures. My preliminary data indicated the presence of all components in both retinas and mucosae, however distribution differs between the tissue types. Importantly and to my knowledge, this is the first report of these components in python sensory tissues. Such findings provide a foundation for future studies, expand understanding of the potential for geographic expansion of this invasive apex predator, contribute to invasive species management decisions, and expand knowledge related to magnetoreceptive mechanisms in general.