谢灿张生家磁蛋白# Biology - 生物学
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Compass protein attracts heap of criticism
Debate grows over a molecule implicated in animal navigation.
David Cyranoski
04 April 2017
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George Grall/NGC
The red-spotted newt and many other animals can somehow sense Earth’s
magnetic field.
For decades, scientists have wondered how animals can navigate huge
distances using the weak signals of Earth’s magnetic field. So, interest
was piqued in 2015 when two teams released papers in quick succession
describing the functions of a protein found in animals that seemed to sense
magnetic fields. But the claims have proved controversial, and questions
have been piling up.
The basic science behind the discovery was reported by Xie Can, a
biophysicist at Peking University in Beijing, and his colleagues. In a paper
in Nature Materials1, they claimed that a protein in animal cells
forms a structure that responds to magnetic fields, and so might help in
navigation. In the same year, a group led by Zhang Sheng-jia, then at
Tsinghua University in Beijing, had published a paper in Science
Bulletin2 reporting that the same protein could offer a powerful means
of controlling brain cells.
An academic battle has long raged between Xie and Zhang, but mounting
evidence has cast doubt on both of their discoveries. Several researchers
have challenged Xie’s claims that the protein reacts to magnetic fields.
And last month, Xie co-authored a paper in Frontiers in Neural
Circuits3 disputing Zhang’s work on the protein’s potential to
magnetically control cells.
Related stories
Discovery of long-sought biological compass claimed
Neuroscientist fired after dispute over magnetic-protein research
Chinese scientists row over long-sought protein that senses magnetism
This has all given rise to serious questions about the role of the molecule
at the centre of the dispute. In their 2015 paper1, Xie and his colleagues
reported that a protein called IscA1 forms a complex with another protein,
Cry4, that explains how organisms pick up magnetic cues. The study found
that this complex incorporates iron atoms, which gives it magnetic
properties, and has a rod-like shape that aligns with an applied magnetic
field.
Two months earlier, Zhang had described using IscA1 to control neurons and
muscle cells in worms2. Zhang learned of IscA1’s properties and obtained
his IscA1 samples from Xie, and so the fact that his team published first
was an early source of tension in what quickly became a bitter dispute.
Officials from both Tsinghua University and Peking University asked
Science Bulletin to retract Zhang’s paper. And that November, Zhang
160;lost his position at Tsinghua — for reasons that the university
did not specify.
“The data are what they are. This may expand our knowledge of molecular
magnets.”
Doubts about Xie’s research have emerged since then. Michael Winklhofer, a
geophysicist at the University of Oldenburg in Germany, examined Xie’s data
and found that the complex would be too weakly magnetic to sense Earth’s
field4. Markus Meister, a biophysicist at the California Institute of
Technology in Pasadena, raised similar concerns: Xie had reported that the
complex would contain only 40 iron atoms, but Meister argues that the
smallest known naturally occurring iron-based magnet has 1 million iron
atoms packed into a smaller space5.
David Keays, a neuroscientist at the Institute of Molecular Pathology in
Vienna, has also questioned the study. He says that IscA1 and Cry4 are found
throughout many tissues, whereas one would expect them to be sequestered in
specific areas if they were functioning as parts of a magnetic-field
receptor. “Sensory receptors, whether they be taste, hearing or photo-
receptors, tend to have a restricted expression pattern,” he says.
Collaborators of Xie say that they have been able to reproduce some of his
findings, and Xie told Nature that he stands by his results. He
disputes the contention that the magnetic properties of IscA1 would be too
weak by saying that Cry4 might boost its effect. “The data are what they
are,” he says. “This may expand our knowledge of molecular magnets.”
The challenge to Zhang’s paper has been more pointed. Zhang claimed to have
transferred IscA1 into worm neurons and then used a magnetic field to
induce the cells to take up calcium. The ability to manipulate such a basic
cell function could promise neuroscientists a powerful tool that is less
invasive than opto-genetic techniques, which use light-sensitive proteins to
control neurons in living animals.
But last month, Xie, Tsinghua University neuroscientist Lu Bai and Lu’s
student Pang Keliang reported3 carrying out experiments under various
conditions, including some almost identical to those used by Zhang. They
found no change in calcium flowing into cells in any of the cases. The
authors conclude that the “findings cast serious doubts” that IscA1 alone
could influence the activity of neurons, as Zhang had claimed.
Several scientists outside China also told Nature that they could
not reproduce Zhang’s results. Nature tried to reach Zhang
through multiple e-mails and phone calls to Shenzhen University in China,
where he now has a position, but he did not respond to requests for comment.
(Neither Nature Materials, which is editorially independent from
Nature’s news team, nor Science Bulletin responded to requests
for comment about criticism of the papers.)
Meanwhile, even as his critics become increasingly aggressive, Xie says he
has convincing data that demonstrate the reaction of an IscA1 complex to a
magnetic field, and that he plans to publish them within a year. “We are
more and more confident — 100% sure — that we are right about this,” he
says.
Nature
544, 16–17 (06 April 2017)doi:10.1038/544016a
Tweet Follow @NatureNews
References
Qin, S. et al. Nature Mater. 15, 217–226 (2016).
Article
PubMed
ChemPort
Show context
Long, X., Ye, J. & Zhang, S-J. Sci. Bull. 60,
2107–2119 (2015).
Article
ChemPort
Show context
Pang, K. et al. Front. Neural Circuitshttp://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fncir.2017.00011 (2017).
Show context
Winklhofer, M. & Mouritsen, H. Preprint at bioRxiv http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/094607 (2016).
Show context
Meister, M. eLife 5, e17210 (2016).
Article
PubMed
Show context
Related stories and links
From nature.com
Discovery of long-sought biological compass claimed
16 November 2015
Neuroscientist fired after dispute over magnetic-protein research
05 November 2015
Chinese scientists row over long-sought protein that senses magnetism
21 September 2015
Author information
For the best commenting experience, please login or register as a user&
#160;and agree to our Community Guidelines. You will be re-directed
back to this page where you will see comments updating in real-time and have
the ability to recommend comments to other users.
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There are currently no comments.
See other News & Comment articles from Nature
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How the genomics revolution could finally help Africa
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Levi Garraway reflects on the three things that keep his compass true when
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This week, mapping sound in the brain, dwindling groundwater, and giving
common iron uncommon properties.
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NUS
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Ph.D. Program and Integrated MS-Ph.D. Program of IBS School-UST
Institute for Basic Science
Chief of Newborn Medicine
Mass General for Chil
Sitemap
Register
Login
Nature
International weekly journal of science
Show searchMenu
Archive
Volume 544
Issue 7648
News
Article
NATURE | NEWS
Sharing
Compass protein attracts heap of criticism
Debate grows over a molecule implicated in animal navigation.
David Cyranoski
04 April 2017
Article tools
Rights & Permissions
George Grall/NGC
The red-spotted newt and many other animals can somehow sense Earth’s
magnetic field.
For decades, scientists have wondered how animals can navigate huge
distances using the weak signals of Earth’s magnetic field. So, interest
was piqued in 2015 when two teams released papers in quick succession
describing the functions of a protein found in animals that seemed to sense
magnetic fields. But the claims have proved controversial, and questions
have been piling up.
The basic science behind the discovery was reported by Xie Can, a
biophysicist at Peking University in Beijing, and his colleagues. In a paper
in Nature Materials1, they claimed that a protein in animal cells
forms a structure that responds to magnetic fields, and so might help in
navigation. In the same year, a group led by Zhang Sheng-jia, then at
Tsinghua University in Beijing, had published a paper in Science
Bulletin2 reporting that the same protein could offer a powerful means
of controlling brain cells.
An academic battle has long raged between Xie and Zhang, but mounting
evidence has cast doubt on both of their discoveries. Several researchers
have challenged Xie’s claims that the protein reacts to magnetic fields.
And last month, Xie co-authored a paper in Frontiers in Neural
Circuits3 disputing Zhang’s work on the protein’s potential to
magnetically control cells.
Related stories
Discovery of long-sought biological compass claimed
Neuroscientist fired after dispute over magnetic-protein research
Chinese scientists row over long-sought protein that senses magnetism
This has all given rise to serious questions about the role of the molecule
at the centre of the dispute. In their 2015 paper1, Xie and his colleagues
reported that a protein called IscA1 forms a complex with another protein,
Cry4, that explains how organisms pick up magnetic cues. The study found
that this complex incorporates iron atoms, which gives it magnetic
properties, and has a rod-like shape that aligns with an applied magnetic
field.
Two months earlier, Zhang had described using IscA1 to control neurons and
muscle cells in worms2. Zhang learned of IscA1’s properties and obtained
his IscA1 samples from Xie, and so the fact that his team published first
was an early source of tension in what quickly became a bitter dispute.
Officials from both Tsinghua University and Peking University asked
Science Bulletin to retract Zhang’s paper. And that November, Zhang
160;lost his position at Tsinghua — for reasons that the university
did not specify.
“The data are what they are. This may expand our knowledge of molecular
magnets.”
Doubts about Xie’s research have emerged since then. Michael Winklhofer, a
geophysicist at the University of Oldenburg in Germany, examined Xie’s data
and found that the complex would be too weakly magnetic to sense Earth’s
field4. Markus Meister, a biophysicist at the California Institute of
Technology in Pasadena, raised similar concerns: Xie had reported that the
complex would contain only 40 iron atoms, but Meister argues that the
smallest known naturally occurring iron-based magnet has 1 million iron
atoms packed into a smaller space5.
David Keays, a neuroscientist at the Institute of Molecular Pathology in
Vienna, has also questioned the study. He says that IscA1 and Cry4 are found
throughout many tissues, whereas one would expect them to be sequestered in
specific areas if they were functioning as parts of a magnetic-field
receptor. “Sensory receptors, whether they be taste, hearing or photo-
receptors, tend to have a restricted expression pattern,” he says.
Collaborators of Xie say that they have been able to reproduce some of his
findings, and Xie told Nature that he stands by his results. He
disputes the contention that the magnetic properties of IscA1 would be too
weak by saying that Cry4 might boost its effect. “The data are what they
are,” he says. “This may expand our knowledge of molecular magnets.”
The challenge to Zhang’s paper has been more pointed. Zhang claimed to have
transferred IscA1 into worm neurons and then used a magnetic field to
induce the cells to take up calcium. The ability to manipulate such a basic
cell function could promise neuroscientists a powerful tool that is less
invasive than opto-genetic techniques, which use light-sensitive proteins to
control neurons in living animals.
But last month, Xie, Tsinghua University neuroscientist Lu Bai and Lu’s
student Pang Keliang reported3 carrying out experiments under various
conditions, including some almost identical to those used by Zhang. They
found no change in calcium flowing into cells in any of the cases. The
authors conclude that the “findings cast serious doubts” that IscA1 alone
could influence the activity of neurons, as Zhang had claimed.
Several scientists outside China also told Nature that they could
not reproduce Zhang’s results. Nature tried to reach Zhang
through multiple e-mails and phone calls to Shenzhen University in China,
where he now has a position, but he did not respond to requests for comment.
(Neither Nature Materials, which is editorially independent from
Nature’s news team, nor Science Bulletin responded to requests
for comment about criticism of the papers.)
Meanwhile, even as his critics become increasingly aggressive, Xie says he
has convincing data that demonstrate the reaction of an IscA1 complex to a
magnetic field, and that he plans to publish them within a year. “We are
more and more confident — 100% sure — that we are right about this,” he
says.
Nature
544, 16–17 (06 April 2017)doi:10.1038/544016a
Tweet Follow @NatureNews
References
Qin, S. et al. Nature Mater. 15, 217–226 (2016).
Article
PubMed
ChemPort
Show context
Long, X., Ye, J. & Zhang, S-J. Sci. Bull. 60,
2107–2119 (2015).
Article
ChemPort
Show context
Pang, K. et al. Front. Neural Circuitshttp://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fncir.2017.00011 (2017).
Show context
Winklhofer, M. & Mouritsen, H. Preprint at bioRxiv http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/094607 (2016).
Show context
Meister, M. eLife 5, e17210 (2016).
Article
PubMed
Show context
Related stories and links
From nature.com
Discovery of long-sought biological compass claimed
16 November 2015
Neuroscientist fired after dispute over magnetic-protein research
05 November 2015
Chinese scientists row over long-sought protein that senses magnetism
21 September 2015
Author information
For the best commenting experience, please login or register as a user&
#160;and agree to our Community Guidelines. You will be re-directed
back to this page where you will see comments updating in real-time and have
the ability to recommend comments to other users.
Comments
CommentsSubscribe to comments
There are currently no comments.
See other News & Comment articles from Nature
Japanese scientists call for boycott of military research
CRISPR studies muddy results of older gene research
Migration: Refugee economics
Medical history: A surgeon for all seasons
Energy: Muscle, steam and combustion
Philanthropy: The politics of giving
Meteorology: Weather makers
Physics: Revelations of fundamental science
New in Paperback
Brazilian budget woes, negative results and botany in the digital era
Smart manufacturing must embrace big data
How the genomics revolution could finally help Africa
Machine learning predicts the look of stem cells
‘Young poo’ makes aged fish live longer
Label the limits of forensic science
Ancient DNA and the rise of ‘celebrity science’
Compass protein attracts heap of criticism
Hunt for cancer 'tipping point' heats up
Brazilian scientists reeling as federal funds slashed by nearly half
Genetic details of controversial 'three-parent baby' revealed
Scroll left
Scroll right
Social Media Box - AML
E-alert
RSS
Sea monsters
How giant marine reptiles terrorized the ancient seas
Ichthyosaurs were some of the largest and most mysterious predators to ever
prowl the oceans. Now they are giving up their secrets.
Top Content - Article Page
Recent
Japanese scientists call for boycott of military research
Nature 06 April 2017
CRISPR studies muddy results of older gene research
Nature 05 April 2017
Migration: Refugee economics
Nature 05 April 2017
Read
Commented
Newsletter
The best science news from Nature and beyond, direct to your inbox
every day.
Pre-cancer genome
Hunt for cancer 'tipping point' heats up
'Pre-cancer' genome atlas proposed to track tumours as they turn
from benign to dangerous.
What does Brexit mean for working scientists?
How Brexit is changing the lives of eight researchers
The months between the Brexit vote and this week's triggering of Article
50 have been a turbulent time for scientists — and things show no sign of
calming.
Rigour, reproducibility, robustness
Remember why we work on cancer
Levi Garraway reflects on the three things that keep his compass true when
the going gets tough.
iPS cell donation
Pioneering cell transplant shows vision and promise
Japan deserves praise for early success, but must still exercise caution in
commercializing induced pluripotent stem-cell treatments.
Nature Podcast
Listen
This week, mapping sound in the brain, dwindling groundwater, and giving
common iron uncommon properties.
Science jobs from naturejobs
Faculty Position for Research Director of the Animal BSL3 Facility at Duke-
NUS
DUKE-NUS Medical school
Ph.D. Program and Integrated MS-Ph.D. Program of IBS School-UST
Institute for Basic Science
Chief of Newborn Medicine
Mass General for Chil