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Molecular basis of infrared detection by snakes

Author

Listed:
  • Elena O. Gracheva

    (Department of Physiology,)

  • Nicholas T. Ingolia

    (Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology,
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute,
    California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158-2517, USA)

  • Yvonne M. Kelly

    (Department of Physiology,)

  • Julio F. Cordero-Morales

    (Department of Physiology,)

  • Gunther Hollopeter

    (Department of Physiology,
    Present address: Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0840, USA.)

  • Alexander T. Chesler

    (Department of Physiology,)

  • Elda E. Sánchez

    (Natural Toxins Research Center, Texas A&M University- Kingsville)

  • John C. Perez

    (Natural Toxins Research Center, Texas A&M University- Kingsville)

  • Jonathan S. Weissman

    (Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology,
    Howard Hughes Medical Institute,
    California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, California 94158-2517, USA)

  • David Julius

    (Department of Physiology,
    Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology,)

Abstract

Snakes possess a unique sensory system for detecting infrared radiation, enabling them to generate a ‘thermal image’ of predators or prey. Infrared signals are initially received by the pit organ, a highly specialized facial structure that is innervated by nerve fibres of the somatosensory system. How this organ detects and transduces infrared signals into nerve impulses is not known. Here we use an unbiased transcriptional profiling approach to identify TRPA1 channels as infrared receptors on sensory nerve fibres that innervate the pit organ. TRPA1 orthologues from pit-bearing snakes (vipers, pythons and boas) are the most heat-sensitive vertebrate ion channels thus far identified, consistent with their role as primary transducers of infrared stimuli. Thus, snakes detect infrared signals through a mechanism involving radiant heating of the pit organ, rather than photochemical transduction. These findings illustrate the broad evolutionary tuning of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels as thermosensors in the vertebrate nervous system.

Suggested Citation

  • Elena O. Gracheva & Nicholas T. Ingolia & Yvonne M. Kelly & Julio F. Cordero-Morales & Gunther Hollopeter & Alexander T. Chesler & Elda E. Sánchez & John C. Perez & Jonathan S. Weissman & David Julius, 2010. "Molecular basis of infrared detection by snakes," Nature, Nature, vol. 464(7291), pages 1006-1011, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:464:y:2010:i:7291:d:10.1038_nature08943
    DOI: 10.1038/nature08943
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    Cited by:

    1. Yoshinori Aragane, 2020. "Enseki Far-Infrared Sandbath: Its Basic and Future Therapeutic Possibilities," JOJ Dermatology & Cosmetics, Juniper Publishers Inc., vol. 2(4), pages 56-59, April.
    2. Xingchen Pang & Yang Wang & Yuyan Zhu & Zhenhan Zhang & Du Xiang & Xun Ge & Haoqi Wu & Yongbo Jiang & Zizheng Liu & Xiaoxian Liu & Chunsen Liu & Weida Hu & Peng Zhou, 2024. "Non-volatile rippled-assisted optoelectronic array for all-day motion detection and recognition," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    3. Grace Y. Liu & Patrick Jouandin & Raymond E. Bahng & Norbert Perrimon & David M. Sabatini, 2024. "An evolutionary mechanism to assimilate new nutrient sensors into the mTORC1 pathway," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-16, December.
    4. Shogo Hori & Michihiro Tateyama & Tsuyoshi Shirai & Yoshihiro Kubo & Osamu Saitoh, 2023. "Two single-point mutations in Ankyrin Repeat one drastically change the threshold temperature of TRPV1," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-15, December.

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