Publication details
Bee-lieve it or not: magnetic field disrupts the rhythm of sleep-wake cycle in bumblebees
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| Year of publication | 2024 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Citation | |
| Description | The circadian clock is an endogenous mechanism whose disruption (e.g. by exposure to unnatural light) results in a multitude of health problems. Magnetic fields (MF) of unnatural intensity accompanying modern man belong to potential disruptors of this mechanism. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that unnatural MF affects the circadian rhythm of insects. As a model organism was chosen bumblebee Bombus terrestris, as it has the same clock protein Cryptochrome II (CRYII) as vertebrates. CRYII is a potential candidate for magnetoreceptor in animals. We monitored locomotor activity for 10 days under constant conditions in the absence of light. Two types of MF (0 µT, 120 µT) were applied. The motion of each individual was detected by a camera and frames processed by image analysing SW. Both the length of periods and robustness of periodicity were compared between groups. We found that there were no difference in length of period in different MF, but we found out that there is a qualitative difference in robustness of periodicity - the periodicity of individuals was much more stronger in hypomagnetic field (0 µT) compared to the individuals in MF with intensity 120 µT. Overall, the work shows that insect circadian rhythm was sensitive to relatively weak MF (only 2.5 times stronger than natural). Near zero MF had no effect. Also surprisingly, magnetic sensitivity was light-independent. Since B. terrestris uses the same molecular clock mechanism as vertebrates and light is not essential for magnetic sensitivity, our results may also be relevant for understanding the sensitivity of human cells to magnetically unnatural conditions in the environment of modern man. |
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