title: Cobalamin's (Vitamin B12) Surprising Function as a Photoreceptor.
abstract: Cobalamin (Vitamin B12) is an adenosyl- or methyl-donating cofactor for many enzymes, yet many proteins with unknown or nonenzymatic function also contain B12-binding domains. Recent studies show that light excitation energy can promote covalent linkage of B12 to transcription factors with this linkage, affecting gene expression. Thus, B12 now has a newly described regulatory function. Here, our bioinformatics analysis reveals other transcription factors, photoreceptors, kinases, and oxygen sensors that harbor a B12-binding domain that could also regulate activity in response to light absorption.
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Department, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
authors.forename: Zhuo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Department, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
authors.forename: Haruki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Department, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA. Electronic address: bauer@indiana.edu.
authors.forename: Carl E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Bauer
mesh_terms: D019295:Computational Biology; D055537:Light Signal Transduction; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects*
chemical_list: D014805:Vitamin B 12
keywords: light-regulated gene regulation; photobiology