Illuminating the Circadian Clock in Monarch Butterfly Migration

Migratory monarch butterflies use a time-compensated Sun compass to navigate to their overwintering grounds in Mexico. Here, we report that constant light, which disrupts circadian clock function at both the behavioral and molecular levels in monarchs, also disrupts the time-compensated component of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2003-05, Vol.300 (5623), p.1303-1305
Main Authors: Froy, Oren, Gotter, Anthony L., Casselman, Amy L., Reppert, Steven M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult Development
Adults
Air navigation
Animal and plant ecology
Animal Migration
Animal migration behavior
Animal navigation
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Biological clocks
Biological Clocks - physiology
Butterflies
Butterflies & moths
Butterflies - genetics
Butterflies - physiology
Circadian rhythm
Circadian Rhythm - physiology
Circadian rhythms
Cloning, Molecular
Compasses
Darkness
Demecology
Eclosion
Flight simulation
Flight, Animal
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Insect flight
Light
Lighting
Migrants
Migration
Monarch butterfly
Navigation
Nuclear Proteins - genetics
Nuclear Proteins - physiology
Optical filters
Period Circadian Proteins
Physiological aspects
Protozoa. Invertebrata
RNA
Simulation
Solar System
Statistical Analysis
Ultraviolet Rays
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Description
Summary:Migratory monarch butterflies use a time-compensated Sun compass to navigate to their overwintering grounds in Mexico. Here, we report that constant light, which disrupts circadian clock function at both the behavioral and molecular levels in monarchs, also disrupts the time-compensated component of flight navigation. We further show that ultraviolet light is important for flight navigation but is not required for photic entrainment of circadian rhythms. Tracing these distinct light-input pathways into the brain should aid our understanding of the clock-compass mechanisms necessary for successful migration.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1084874