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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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-03-01
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Series: | Frontiers in Physiology |
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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. |
first_indexed | 2024-12-12T02:56:39Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-4317ccacf74347989a32ca9427c1052e |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 1664-042X |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-12-12T02:56:39Z |
publishDate | 2020-03-01 |
publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
record_format | Article |
series | Frontiers in Physiology |
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 |