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Flavin‐based Blue‐light Photosensors: A Photobiophysics Update
Author(s) -
Losi Aba
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
photochemistry and photobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.818
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1751-1097
pISSN - 0031-8655
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-1097.2007.00196.x
Subject(s) - cryptochrome , flavin group , blue light , photodetector , chemistry , phototropin , biophysics , biochemistry , biology , physics , optoelectronics , circadian clock , gene , enzyme
Abstract This review deals with the biophysical aspects of flavin‐based photosensors, comprising cryptochromes, LOV (Light, Oxygen and Voltage) and BLUF (Blue Light sensing Using FAD) proteins. Special emphasis is given to structural issues, photocycle quantum yields and energetics, mechanism of the light‐triggered reactions, early stages in signal transduction and oligomeric states of the light sensing protein modules. For BLUF and LOV domains important parallels are emerging, despite their different α/β fold arrangement, whereas there is increasing evidence for a mechanicistic and functional splitting of the cryptochrome family.