Involvement of electron transfer in the photoreaction of zebrafish Cryptochrome-DASH

Photochem Photobiol. 2008 Jul-Aug;84(4):1016-23. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-1097.2007.00364.x. Epub 2008 May 20.

Abstract

Photoreaction of a blue-light photoreceptor Cryptochrome-DASH (Cry-DASH), a new member of the Cryptochrome family, from zebrafish was studied by UV-visible absorption spectroscopy in aqueous solutions at 293 K. Zebrafish Cry-DASH binds two chromophores, a flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and a N5,N10-methenyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolate (MTHF) noncovalently. The bound FAD exists in the oxidized form (FAD(ox)) in the dark. Blue light converts FAD(ox) to the neutral radical form (FADH*). Formed FADH* is transformed to the fully reduced form FADH(2) (or FADH(-)) by successive light irradiation, or reverts to FAD(ox). FADH(2) (or FADH(-)) reverts to FADH* or possibly to FAD(ox) directly. The effect of dithiothreitol suggests a possible electron transfer between FAD in zebrafish Cry-DASH and reductants in the external medium. This is the first report on the photoreaction pathway and kinetics of a vertebrate Cry-DASH family protein.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cryptochromes
  • Darkness
  • Electron Transport*
  • Flavoproteins / chemistry
  • Flavoproteins / metabolism*
  • Flavoproteins / radiation effects*
  • Light
  • Photoreceptor Cells / metabolism
  • Spectrophotometry
  • Zebrafish / metabolism*
  • Zebrafish Proteins / chemistry
  • Zebrafish Proteins / metabolism*
  • Zebrafish Proteins / radiation effects*

Substances

  • Cryptochromes
  • Flavoproteins
  • Zebrafish Proteins
  • cryptochrome DASH, zebrafish