The origin of photoactivated adenylyl cyclase (PAC), the Euglena blue-light receptor: phylogenetic analysis of orthologues of PAC subunits from several euglenoids and trypanosome-type adenylyl cyclases from Euglena gracilis.

Photoactivated adenylyl cyclase (PAC) is the blue-light receptor flavoprotein recently identified as a photoreceptor for photoavoidance of the unicellular flagellate, Euglena gracilis. To gain an insight into the evolution of this unique protein, similar sequences were searched for in several euglenoids by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using degenerate primers. Two similar transcripts were detected in each of the four phototrophic euglenoids, Euglena stellata, Colacium sideropus, Eutreptia viridis, Eutreptiella gymnastica, and in an osmotrophic (i.