Wiltschko Roswitha, Thalau Peter, Gehring Dennis, Nießner Christine, Ritz Thorsten, Wiltschko Wolfgang
FB Biowissenschaften, J.W.Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Max von Laue Straße 13, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
FB Biowissenschaften, J.W.Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Max von Laue Straße 13, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
J R Soc Interface. 2015 Feb 6;12(103). doi: 10.1098/rsif.2014.1103.
The avian magnetic compass, probably based on radical pair processes, works only in a narrow functional window around the local field strength, with cryptochrome 1a as most likely receptor molecule. Radio-frequency fields in the MHz range have been shown to disrupt the birds' orientation, yet the nature of this interference is still unclear. In an immuno-histological study, we tested whether the radio-frequency fields interfere with the photoreduction of cryptochrome, but this does not seem to be the case. In behavioural studies, birds were not able to adjust to radio-frequency fields like they are able to adjust to static fields outside the normal functional range: neither a 2-h pre-exposure in a 7.0 MHz field, 480 nT, nor a 7-h pre-exposure in a 1.315 MHz field, 15 nT, allowed the birds to regain their orientation ability. This inability to adjust to radio-frequency fields suggests that these fields interfere directly with the primary processes of magnetoreception and therefore disable the avian compass as long as they are present. They do not have lasting adverse after-effects, however, as birds immediately after exposure to a radio-frequency field were able to orient in the local geomagnetic field.
鸟类磁罗盘可能基于自由基对过程，仅在局部场强周围狭窄的功能窗口内起作用，隐花色素1a最有可能是其受体分子。已表明兆赫兹范围内的射频场会干扰鸟类的定向，但这种干扰的性质仍不清楚。在一项免疫组织学研究中，我们测试了射频场是否会干扰隐花色素的光还原，但情况似乎并非如此。在行为研究中，鸟类无法像它们能够适应正常功能范围之外的静磁场那样适应射频场：无论是在7.0兆赫兹、480纳特斯拉的场中进行2小时预暴露，还是在1.315兆赫兹、15纳特斯拉的场中进行7小时预暴露，都不能使鸟类恢复其定向能力。这种无法适应射频场的情况表明，这些场直接干扰了磁感受的主要过程，因此只要它们存在，就会使鸟类罗盘失效。然而，它们不会产生持久的不良后效应，因为鸟类在暴露于射频场后立即就能在当地地磁场中定向。
