One Actor, Multiple Roles: The Performances of Cryptochrome in Drosophila

Cryptochromes (CRYs) are flavoproteins that are sensitive to blue light, first identified in Arabidopsis and then in Drosophila and mice. They are evolutionarily conserved and play fundamental roles in the circadian clock of living organisms, enabling them to adapt to the daily 24-h cycles. The role...

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Main Authors: Milena Damulewicz, Gabriella M. Mazzotta
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2020-03-01
Series:Frontiers in Physiology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphys.2020.00099/full
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author Milena Damulewicz
Gabriella M. Mazzotta
author_facet Milena Damulewicz
Gabriella M. Mazzotta
author_sort Milena Damulewicz
collection DOAJ
description Cryptochromes (CRYs) are flavoproteins that are sensitive to blue light, first identified in Arabidopsis and then in Drosophila and mice. They are evolutionarily conserved and play fundamental roles in the circadian clock of living organisms, enabling them to adapt to the daily 24-h cycles. The role of CRYs in circadian clocks differs among different species: in plants, they have a blue light-sensing activity whereas in mammals they act as light-independent transcriptional repressors within the circadian clock. These two different functions are accomplished by two principal types of CRYs, the light-sensitive plant/insect type 1 CRY and the mammalian type 2 CRY acting as a negative autoregulator in the molecular circadian clockwork. Drosophila melanogaster possesses just one CRY, belonging to type 1 CRYs. Nevertheless, this single CRY appears to have different functions, specific to different organs, tissues, and even subset of cells in which it is expressed. In this review, we will dissect the multiple roles of this single CRY in Drosophila, focusing on the regulatory mechanisms that make its pleiotropy possible.
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spelling doaj.art-4317ccacf74347989a32ca9427c1052e2022-12-22T00:40:43ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Physiology1664-042X2020-03-011110.3389/fphys.2020.00099510956One Actor, Multiple Roles: The Performances of Cryptochrome in DrosophilaMilena Damulewicz0Gabriella M. Mazzotta1Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, PolandDepartment of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, ItalyCryptochromes (CRYs) are flavoproteins that are sensitive to blue light, first identified in Arabidopsis and then in Drosophila and mice. They are evolutionarily conserved and play fundamental roles in the circadian clock of living organisms, enabling them to adapt to the daily 24-h cycles. The role of CRYs in circadian clocks differs among different species: in plants, they have a blue light-sensing activity whereas in mammals they act as light-independent transcriptional repressors within the circadian clock. These two different functions are accomplished by two principal types of CRYs, the light-sensitive plant/insect type 1 CRY and the mammalian type 2 CRY acting as a negative autoregulator in the molecular circadian clockwork. Drosophila melanogaster possesses just one CRY, belonging to type 1 CRYs. Nevertheless, this single CRY appears to have different functions, specific to different organs, tissues, and even subset of cells in which it is expressed. In this review, we will dissect the multiple roles of this single CRY in Drosophila, focusing on the regulatory mechanisms that make its pleiotropy possible.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphys.2020.00099/fullcryptochromeDrosophilacircadian clockphototransductioncircadian plasticitylight-independent activity
spellingShingle Milena Damulewicz
Gabriella M. Mazzotta
One Actor, Multiple Roles: The Performances of Cryptochrome in Drosophila
Frontiers in Physiology
cryptochrome
Drosophila
circadian clock
phototransduction
circadian plasticity
light-independent activity
title One Actor, Multiple Roles: The Performances of Cryptochrome in Drosophila
title_full One Actor, Multiple Roles: The Performances of Cryptochrome in Drosophila
title_fullStr One Actor, Multiple Roles: The Performances of Cryptochrome in Drosophila
title_full_unstemmed One Actor, Multiple Roles: The Performances of Cryptochrome in Drosophila
title_short One Actor, Multiple Roles: The Performances of Cryptochrome in Drosophila
title_sort one actor multiple roles the performances of cryptochrome in drosophila
topic cryptochrome
Drosophila
circadian clock
phototransduction
circadian plasticity
light-independent activity
url https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphys.2020.00099/full
work_keys_str_mv AT milenadamulewicz oneactormultiplerolestheperformancesofcryptochromeindrosophila
AT gabriellammazzotta oneactormultiplerolestheperformancesofcryptochromeindrosophila