Photoreaction Mechanisms of Flavoprotein Photoreceptors and Their Applications

Tatsuya Iwata; Shinji Masuda

doi:10.1007/978-981-15-8763-4_11

Photoreaction Mechanisms of Flavoprotein Photoreceptors and Their Applications

Adv Exp Med Biol. 2021:1293:189-206. doi: 10.1007/978-981-15-8763-4_11.

Authors

Tatsuya Iwata¹, Shinji Masuda²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toho University, Funabashi, Chiba, Japan.
² Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan. shmasuda@bio.titech.ac.jp.

PMID: 33398814
DOI: 10.1007/978-981-15-8763-4_11

Abstract

Three classes of flavoprotein photoreceptors, cryptochromes (CRYs), light-oxygen-voltage (LOV)-domain proteins, and blue light using FAD (BLUF)-domain proteins, have been identified that control various physiological processes in multiple organisms. Accordingly, signaling activities of photoreceptors have been intensively studied and the related mechanisms have been exploited in numerous optogenetic tools. Herein, we summarize the current understanding of photoactivation mechanisms of the flavoprotein photoreceptors and review their applications.

Keywords: BLUF; Cryptochrome; Flavin; LOV; Optogenetics; Photocycle; Photoreceptor.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Cryptochromes / genetics
Cryptochromes / metabolism
Cryptochromes / radiation effects
Flavoproteins / genetics
Flavoproteins / metabolism*
Flavoproteins / radiation effects*
Light Signal Transduction / radiation effects*
Light*
Optogenetics*

Substances

Cryptochromes
Flavoproteins