High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Science Island, Hefei, Anhui 230031, China.
Science Island Branch of Graduate School, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230036, China.
Zool Res. 2024 Jul 18;45(4):821-830. doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.074.
Magnetic sense, or termed magnetoreception, has evolved in a broad range of taxa within the animal kingdom to facilitate orientation and navigation. MagRs, highly conserved A-type iron-sulfur proteins, are widely distributed across all phyla and play essential roles in both magnetoreception and iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis. However, the evolutionary origins and functional diversification of MagRs from their prokaryotic ancestor remain unclear. In this study, MagR sequences from 131 species, ranging from bacteria to humans, were selected for analysis, with 23 representative sequences covering species from prokaryotes to Mollusca, Arthropoda, Osteichthyes, Reptilia, Aves, and mammals chosen for protein expression and purification. Biochemical studies revealed a gradual increase in total iron content in MagRs during evolution. Three types of MagRs were identified, each with distinct iron and/or iron-sulfur cluster binding capacity and protein stability, indicating continuous expansion of the functional roles of MagRs during speciation and evolution. This evolutionary biochemical study provides valuable insights into how evolution shapes the physical and chemical properties of biological molecules such as MagRs and how these properties influence the evolutionary trajectories of MagRs.
磁感觉，或称为磁受体，在动物王国的广泛类群中进化，以促进定向和导航。MagRs 是高度保守的 A 型铁硫蛋白，广泛分布于所有门，在磁受体和铁硫簇生物发生中都发挥着重要作用。然而，MagRs 从其原核祖先的进化起源和功能多样化仍然不清楚。在这项研究中，选择了来自 131 种物种的 MagR 序列进行分析，其中 23 个代表性序列涵盖了从原核生物到软体动物、节肢动物、硬骨鱼、爬行动物、鸟类和哺乳动物的物种，用于蛋白质表达和纯化。生化研究表明，MagRs 在进化过程中总铁含量逐渐增加。鉴定出三种类型的 MagRs，它们具有不同的铁和/或铁硫簇结合能力和蛋白质稳定性，表明 MagRs 的功能作用在物种形成和进化过程中不断扩展。这项进化生化研究提供了有价值的见解，了解进化如何塑造 MagRs 等生物分子的物理和化学性质，以及这些性质如何影响 MagRs 的进化轨迹。
