title: In-Planta Expression: Searching for the Genuine Chromophores of Cryptochrome-3 from Arabidopsis thaliana.
abstract: Göbel et al. present in this issue an exemplary study of identification of chromophores from Arabidopsis thaliana cryptochrome-3. Usually taken for granted, proteins and cofactors, respective chromophores, from heterologous expression are considered identical to material isolated from their genuine host. Cryptochromes carry two chromophores, an antenna cofactor and a functional flavin chromophore, both noncovalently embedded into the protein. In particular the antenna chromophore is loosely bound and often lost during protein purification. The authors identify from plant-extracted Cry3 unambiguously N5,N10-methenyltetrahydrofolate as antenna chromophore and flavin adenine dinucleotide as the functional chromophore.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Mülheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gärtner
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000201:enzymology*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D056931:Cryptochromes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D005182:Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide / Q000378:metabolism; D008027:Light; D011487:Protein Conformation
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D056931:Cryptochromes; D005182:Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide; C515145:Cry3 protein, Arabidopsis