CRY, a Drosophila clock and light-regulated cryptochrome, is a major contributor to circadian rhythm resetting and photosensitivity.
Light is a major environmental signal for circadian rhythms. We have identified and analyzed cry, a novel Drosophila cryptochrome gene. All characterized family members are directly photosensitive and include plant blue light photoreceptors. We show that cry transcription is under circadian regulation, influenced by the Drosophila clock genes period, timeless, Clock, and cycle. We also show that cry protein levels are dramatically affected by light exposure. Importantly, circadian photosensitivity is increased in a cry-overexpressing strain. These physiological and genetic data therefore link a specific photoreceptor molecule to circadian rhythmicity. Taken together with the data in the accompanying paper, we propose that CRY is a major Drosophila photoreceptor dedicated to the resetting of circadian rhythms.
Emery
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P
Department of Biology, Brandeis University Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, USA.
So
W V
WV
Kaneko
M
M
Hall
J C
JC
Rosbash
M
M
D056930:ARNTL Transcription Factors; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D056926:CLOCK Proteins; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D056931:Cryptochromes; D004330:Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins; D005260:Female; D005420:Flavoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D056950:Period Circadian Proteins; D017956:Photoreceptor Cells, Invertebrate; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000502:physiology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D056930:ARNTL Transcription Factors; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D056926:CLOCK Proteins; D056931:Cryptochromes; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins; D005420:Flavoproteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D056950:Period Circadian Proteins; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D015534:Trans-Activators; C539040:PER protein, Drosophila; C119828:cry protein, Drosophila; C112805:cyc protein, Drosophila; C096445:tim protein, Drosophila