On the evolutionary trail of MagRs

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Evolutionary Biology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Magnetoreception, or magnetic sense, is crucial for animal orientation and navigation across diverse taxa.
• MagRs (A-type iron-sulfur proteins) are vital for magnetoreception and iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis, but their evolutionary path is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the evolutionary origins and functional diversification of MagRs.
• To understand how MagR properties have changed throughout evolution from prokaryotes to mammals.

Main Methods:

• Analyzed MagR sequences from 131 species.
• Expressed and purified 23 representative MagR sequences.
• Conducted biochemical studies on MagR iron content, iron-sulfur cluster binding, and protein stability.

Main Results:

• Observed a progressive increase in total iron content in MagRs during evolution.
• Identified three distinct MagR types with varying iron/iron-sulfur binding capacities and stabilities.
• Demonstrated continuous functional expansion of MagRs throughout speciation.

Conclusions:

• Evolution has progressively shaped the physical and chemical properties of MagRs.
• These property changes influence the evolutionary trajectories of MagRs, impacting their roles in magnetoreception and biogenesis.