Table_3_Cryptochrome Interacts With Actin and Enhances Eye-Mediated Light Sensitivity of the Circadian Clock in Drosophila melanogaster.PDF

Cryptochromes (CRYs) are a class of flavoproteins that sense blue light. In animals, CRYs are expressed in the eyes and in the clock neurons that control sleep/wake cycles and are implied in the generation and/or entrainment of circadian rhythmicity. Moreover, CRYs are sensing magnetic fields in insects as well as in humans. Here, we show that in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster CRY plays a light-independent role as “assembling” protein in the rhabdomeres of the compound eyes. CRY interacts with actin and appears to increase light sensitivity of the eyes by keeping the “signalplex” of the phototransduction cascade close to the membrane. By this way, CRY also enhances light-responses of the circadian clock.

隐花色素（Cryptochromes，CRYs）是一类能够感知蓝光的黄素蛋白。在动物体内，CRYs在眼部以及调控睡眠-觉醒周期的时钟神经元中表达，且被认为参与昼夜节律的产生与/或同步过程。不仅如此，CRYs在昆虫乃至人类体内均具备感知磁场的功能。本研究证实，在黑腹果蝇（Drosophila melanogaster）中，CRY可在复眼的视杆小体中发挥不依赖光的“组装”蛋白功能。CRY可与肌动蛋白相互作用，通过将光转导级联反应的“信号复合体”维持在细胞膜附近，提升眼部的光敏感性。通过这一机制，CRY同时可增强昼夜节律时钟的光应答反应。