Molecular Bases of Signaling Processes Regulated by Cryptochrome Sensory Photoreceptors in Plants.

The blue-light sensors, cryptochromes, compose the extensive class of flavoprotein photoreceptors, regulating signaling processes in plants underlying their development, growth, and metabolism. In several algae, cryptochromes may act not only as sensory photoreceptors but also as photolyases, catalyzing repair of the UV-induced DNA lesions. Cryptochromes bind FAD as the chromophore at the photolyase homologous region (PHR) domain and contain the cryptochrome C-terminal extension (CCE), which is absent in photolyases.