Cryptochromes and circadian photoreception in animals.
Cryptochromes are flavin- and folate-containing blue-light photoreceptors with a high degree of similarity to DNA photolyase, which repairs ultraviolet-induced DNA damage using blue light to initiate the repair reaction. Cryptochromes play essential roles in the maintenance of circadian rhythms in mice and Drosophila, and genetic data indicate that cryptochromes function as circadian photoreceptors in these and other animals. However, the photochemical reactions carried out by cryptochromes are not known at present.
Partch
Carrie L
CL
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA.
Sancar
Aziz
A
D000818:Animals; D001683:Biological Clocks / Q000502:physiology*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D056931:Cryptochromes; D004255:Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo-Lyase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D005420:Flavoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D056950:Period Circadian Proteins; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D010786:Photoreceptor Cells / Q000502:physiology; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D015027:Zebrafish; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000502:physiology
D056931:Cryptochromes; D005136:Eye Proteins; D005420:Flavoproteins; D056950:Period Circadian Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C498846:per2 protein, zebrafish; C032418:5,11-methenyltetrahydrohomofolate; D005492:Folic Acid; D004255:Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo-Lyase