Cryptochromes are photosensory receptors mediating light regulation of growth and development in plants. Since the isolation of the Arabidopsis CRY1 gene in 1993, cryptochromes have been found in every multicellular eukaryote examined. Most plant cryptochromes have a chromophore-binding domain that shares similar structure with DNA photolyase, and a carboxyl terminal extension that contains a DQXVP-acidic-STAES (DAS) domain conserved from moss, to fern, to angiosperm. In Arabidopsis, cryptochromes are nuclear proteins that mediate light control of stem elongation, leaf expansion, photoperiodic flowering, and the circadian clock. Cryptochromes may act by interacting with proteins such as phytochromes, COP1, and clock proteins, or/and chromatin and DNA. Recent studies suggest that cryptochromes undergo a blue light-dependent phosphorylation that affects the conformation, intermolecular interactions, physiological activities, and protein abundance of the photoreceptors.

中文翻译：

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密码学结构和信号转导

隐花色素是光敏受体，介导植物生长和发育的光调节。自 1993 年拟南芥 CRY1 基因分离以来，在每一个被检查的多细胞真核生物中都发现了隐花色素。大多数植物隐花色素具有与 DNA 光解酶具有相似结构的发色团结合结构域，以及包含从苔藓、蕨类植物到被子植物保守的 DQXVP-酸性-STAES (DAS) 结构域的羧基末端延伸。在拟南芥中，隐花色素是介导茎伸长、叶片扩张、光周期开花和生物钟的光控制的核蛋白。隐花色素可能通过与诸如光敏色素、COP1 和时钟蛋白或/和染色质和 DNA 等蛋白质相互作用而起作用。