Molecular photoreceptors
Photoreceptor proteins are light-sensitive proteins involved in the sensing and response to light in a variety of organisms. Some examples are rhodopsin in the photoreceptor cells of the vertebrate retina , phytochrome in plants, and bacteriorhodopsin and bacteriophytochromes in some bacteria . They mediate light responses as varied as visual perception , phototropism and phototaxis , as well as responses to light-dark cycles such as circadian rhythm and other photoperiodisms including control of flowering times in plants and mating seasons in animals.
Structure
Photoreceptor proteins typically consist of a protein attached to a non-protein chromophore (sometimes referred as photopigment , even so photopigment may also refer to the photoreceptor as a whole). The chromophore reacts to light via photoisomerization or photoreduction , thus initiating a change of the receptor protein which triggers a signal transduction cascade. Chromophores found in photoreceptors include retinal (retinylidene proteins , for example rhodopsin in animals),[ 1] flavin (flavoproteins , for example cryptochrome in plants and animals)[ 2] and bilin (biliproteins , for example phytochrome in plants).[ 3] The plant protein UVR8 is exceptional amongst photoreceptors in that it contains no external chromophore. Instead, UVR8 absorbs light through tryptophan residues within its protein coding sequence .[ 4]
Photoreceptors in animals
Photoreceptors in plants
All the photoreceptors listed above allow plants to sense light with wavelengths range from 280 nm (UV-B) to 750 nm (far-red light). Plants use light of different wavelengths as environmental cues to both alter their position and to trigger important developmental transitions.[ 7] The most prominent wavelength responsible for plant mechanisms is blue light, which can trigger cell elongation, plant orientation, and flowering.[ 8] One of the most important processes regulated by photoreceptors is known as photomorphogenesis . When a seed germinates underground in the absence of light, its stem rapidly elongates upwards. When it breaks through the surface of the soil, photoreceptors perceive light. The activated photoreceptors cause a change in developmental program; the plant starts producing chlorophyll and switches to photosynthetic growth.[ 9]
Photoreceptors in phototactic flagellates
(Also see: Eyespot apparatus )
Photoreceptors in archaea and bacteria
Photoreception and signal transduction
Responses to photoreception
See also
References
^ "Rhodopsin | biochemistry" . Encyclopedia Britannica . Retrieved 2021-01-21 .
^ Lin, Chentao; Todo, Takeshi (2005-04-29). "The cryptochromes" . Genome Biology . 6 (5): 220. doi :10.1186/gb-2005-6-5-220 . ISSN 1474-760X . PMC 1175950 . PMID 15892880 .
^ Rockwell, Nathan C.; Su, Yi-Shin; Lagarias, J. Clark (2006). "Phytochrome structure and signaling mechanisms" . Annual Review of Plant Biology . 57 : 837–858. doi :10.1146/annurev.arplant.56.032604.144208 . ISSN 1543-5008 . PMC 2664748 . PMID 16669784 .
^ Li, Xiankun; Ren, Haisheng; Kundu, Mainak; Liu, Zheyun; Zhong, Frank W.; Wang, Lijuan; Gao, Jiali; Zhong, Dongping (2020-08-28). "A leap in quantum efficiency through light harvesting in photoreceptor UVR8" . Nature Communications . 11 (1): 4316. Bibcode :2020NatCo..11.4316L . doi :10.1038/s41467-020-17838-6 . ISSN 2041-1723 . PMC 7455749 . PMID 32859932 .
^ Smith, Dean P.; Ranganathan, Rama; Hardy, Robert W.; Marx, Julia; Tsuchida, Tammy; Zuker, Charles S. (1991). "Photoreceptor Deactivation and Retinal Degeneration Mediated by a Photoreceptor-Specific Protein Kinase C". Science . 254 (5037): 1478–1484. Bibcode :1991Sci...254.1478S . doi :10.1126/science.1962207 . JSTOR 2879432 . PMID 1962207 . ProQuest 213560980 .
^ Kojima, Daisuke; Mori, Suguru; Torii, Masaki; Wada, Akimori; Morishita, Rika; Fukada, Yoshitaka (17 October 2011). "UV-Sensitive Photoreceptor Protein OPN5 in Humans and Mice" . PLOS ONE . 6 (10): e26388. Bibcode :2011PLoSO...626388K . doi :10.1371/journal.pone.0026388 . PMC 3197025 . PMID 22043319 .
^ Galvão, Vinicius Costa; Fankhauser, Christian (October 2015). "Sensing the light environment in plants: photoreceptors and early signaling steps" . Current Opinion in Neurobiology . 34 : 46–53. doi :10.1016/j.conb.2015.01.013 . PMID 25638281 . S2CID 12390801 .
^ Christie, John M.; Briggs, Winslow R. (2001-04-13). "Blue Light Sensing in Higher Plants *" . Journal of Biological Chemistry . 276 (15): 11457–11460. doi :10.1074/jbc.R100004200 . ISSN 0021-9258 . PMID 11279226 .
^ Briggs, Winslow R.; Olney, Margaret A. (1 January 2001). "Photoreceptors in Plant Photomorphogenesis to Date. Five Phytochromes, Two Cryptochromes, One Phototropin, and One Superchrome" . Plant Physiology . 125 (1): 85–88. doi :10.1104/pp.125.1.85 . PMC 1539332 . PMID 11154303 .