Cryptochrome

Cryptochrome-1
Crystallographic structure of Cryptochrome-1
Identifiers
SymbolCRY1
NCBI gene1407
HGNC2384
OMIM601933
PDB5T5X
RefSeqNP_004066
UniProtQ16526
Other data
LocusChr. 12 q23.3
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StructuresSwiss-model
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Cryptochrome-2
Identifiers
SymbolCRY2
NCBI gene1408
HGNC2385
OMIM603732
PDB4MLP
RefSeqNP_066940
UniProtQ49AN0
Other data
LocusChr. 11 p11.2
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Cryptochromes (from the Greek κρυπτός χρώμα, "hidden colour") are a class of flavoproteins found in plants and animals that are sensitive to blue light. They are involved in the circadian rhythms and the sensing of magnetic fields in a number of species. The name cryptochrome was proposed as a portmanteau combining the chromatic nature of the photoreceptor, and the cryptogamic organisms on which many blue-light studies were carried out.[1][2]

The genes CRY1 and CRY2 encode the proteins CRY1 and CRY2, respectively.[3] Cryptochromes are classified into plant Cry and animal Cry. Animal Cry can be further categorized into insect type (Type I) and mammal-like (Type II). CRY1 is a circadian photoreceptor whereas CRY2 is a clock repressor which represses Clock/Cycle (Bmal1) complex in insects and vertebrates.[4] In plants, blue-light photoreception can be used to cue developmental signals.[5] Besides chlorophylls, cryptochromes are the only proteins known to form photoinduced radical-pairs in vivo.[6] These appear to enable some animals to detect magnetic fields.

Cryptochromes have been the focus of several current efforts in optogenetics. Employing transfection, initial studies on yeast have capitalized on the potential of CRY2 heterodimerization to control cellular processes, including gene expression, by light.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gressel_1979 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Yang_2017 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference van_der_Spek_1996 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ozturk_2017 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Brautigam_2004 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Hore_2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).