Multimodal imaging reveals no evidence for magnetite-based magnetoreceptors in the mole-rat eye
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Magnetoreception is widespread across animals, but its sensory mechanism remains unresolved. One leading hypothesis proposes that single-domain magnetite is coupled to mechanosensitive ion channels. In subterranean Ansell's mole-rats, such receptors have been proposed to reside in the cornea or retina. We screened for magnetite in the mole-rat eye by combining iron imaging via enhanced Prussian blue staining and synchrotron X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) with magnetic imaging via MRI-quantitative susceptibility mapping (MRI-QSM) and quantum-diamond microscopy. The retina and cornea contained little iron, most of which co-localized with titanium or chromium, indicating a non-biogenic origin. Iron-enriched lines in the cornea did not show ferrimagnetic signals. MRI-QSM revealed the highest susceptibility in the ciliary body, where iron-rich pigmented cells were identified. A targeted TEM-screen, however, failed to detect single-domain magnetite particles. In conclusion, we found no evidence of magnetite-based magnetoreceptors in the cornea or retina, suggesting other tissues or mechanisms underlie mole-rat magnetoreception.
Source: iScience
Authors: Leif Moritz, Kamalika Nath, Ella P. Walsh, Anna Sternberg, Elisabeth Becher, Adrian Lange, Gerald Falkenberg, Dennis Brückner, Clemens Diwoky, Kristian Bredies, Malte Brammerloh, Daryl Howard, David J. Paterson, Kadda Medjoubi, Stephan Irsen, Sybille Wolf-Kümmeth, Li Zhang, Martha M.M. Daniel, David A. Simpson, Sabine Begall, E. Pascal Malkemper
Institutions: Center of Advanced European Studies and Research, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Haldia Institute of Technology, The University of Melbourne, University of Duisburg-Essen, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, University of Graz, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Australian Synchrotron, Synchrotron SOLEIL, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior – caesar
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,240
OpenAlex ID: W7214047905