研究组进行了物理、形态学、功能和基因组分析，以确定肝脏中超顺磁性巨噬细胞的存在。课题组发现巨噬细胞耗竭后，在阴天条件下飞行的鸽子失去了它们的定向能力。在没有巨噬细胞的鸟类中，当太阳可见时，定向没有受损，这表明这是它们的主要线索。该研究组提出，在信鸽中，肝脏中的超顺磁性巨噬细胞是寻找磁性方向所必需的。
据介绍，鸟类有各种各样的导航策略，包括地磁场，特别是在没有其他线索的情况下，比如在阴天或夜间条件下。喙中的磁铁矿颗粒，眼睛中的隐色素，细胞离子通道的改变以及前庭系统的变化都被提出来解释磁感受，但确切的机制仍然存在争议。
附：英文原文
Title: Homing pigeon navigation relies on superparamagnetic macrophages under overcast conditions
Author: Clivia Lisowski, Michael Quetting, Daniela Klaus, Lisa Lazarevski, Lea Seep, Maximilian Germer, Jian Li, Inge Müller, Daniel Zuniga, Wolfgang Fiedler, Dina K. N. Dechmann, Kasper Thorup, Jan Hasenauer, Lars Fester, Stefanie Kuerten, Michael Farle, Ulf Wiedwald, Martin Wikelski, Christian Kurts
Issue&Volume: 2026-05-28
Abstract: Birds use a variety of navigational strategies, including the geomagnetic field, especially when other cues are not available, such as under overcast or nocturnal conditions. Magnetite particles in the beak, cryptochromes in the eye, cellular ion-channel alterations, and changes in the vestibular system have been proposed to explain magnetoreception, but the exact mechanisms remain debated. Here, we used physical, morphological, functional, and genomic assays to identify the presence of superparamagnetic macrophages in the liver. We found that after macrophage depletion, pigeons flying under overcast conditions lacked their usual orientation capabilities. Orientation was unimpaired in birds without macrophages when the sun was visible, suggesting that this was their primary cue. We propose that in homing pigeons, superparamagnetic macrophages in the liver are required for finding magnetic direction.
DOI: ady2486
Source: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ady2486