Light-induced electron transfer in a cryptochrome blue-light photoreceptor

Nat Struct Biol. 2003 Jun;10(6):489-90. doi: 10.1038/nsb933.

Abstract

Cryptochromes are flavoproteins implicated in multiple blue light-dependent signaling pathways regulating, for example, photomorphogenesis in plants or circadian clocks in animals. Using transient absorption spectroscopy, it is demonstrated that the primary light reactions in isolated Arabidopsis thaliana cryptochrome-1 involve intraprotein electron transfer from tryptophan and tyrosine residues to the excited flavin adenine dinucleotide cofactor.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis Proteins / chemistry*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cryptochromes
  • Drosophila Proteins*
  • Electron Transport / physiology
  • Electron Transport / radiation effects
  • Eye Proteins*
  • Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide / chemistry
  • Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide / metabolism
  • Flavoproteins / chemistry*
  • Flavoproteins / genetics
  • Flavoproteins / metabolism*
  • Kinetics
  • Light
  • Photoreceptor Cells, Invertebrate*
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • Spectrum Analysis / methods
  • Tryptophan / chemistry
  • Tryptophan / metabolism
  • Tyrosine / chemistry
  • Tyrosine / metabolism

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Cryptochromes
  • Drosophila Proteins
  • Eye Proteins
  • Flavoproteins
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • cry protein, Drosophila
  • Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide
  • Tyrosine
  • Tryptophan