Structure of the photolyase-like domain of cryptochrome 1 from Arabidopsis thaliana

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004 Aug 17;101(33):12142-7. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0404851101. Epub 2004 Aug 6.

Abstract

Signals generated by cryptochrome (CRY) blue-light photoreceptors are responsible for a variety of developmental and circadian responses in plants. The CRYs are also identified as circadian blue-light photoreceptors in Drosophila and components of the mammalian circadian clock. These flavoproteins all have an N-terminal domain that is similar to photolyase, and most have an additional C-terminal domain of variable length. We present here the crystal structure of the photolyase-like domain of CRY-1 from Arabidopsis thaliana. The structure reveals a fold that is very similar to photolyase, with a single molecule of FAD noncovalently bound to the protein. The surface features of the protein and the dissimilarity of a surface cavity to that of photolyase account for its lack of DNA-repair activity. Previous in vitro experiments established that the photolyase-like domain of CRY-1 can bind Mg.ATP, and we observe a single molecule of an ATP analog bound in the aforementioned surface cavity, near the bound FAD cofactor. The structure has implications for the signaling mechanism of CRY blue-light photoreceptors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine Triphosphate / metabolism
  • Adenylyl Imidodiphosphate / metabolism
  • Arabidopsis / chemistry
  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Arabidopsis / metabolism
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / chemistry*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism
  • Binding Sites
  • Cryptochromes
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo-Lyase / chemistry
  • Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo-Lyase / genetics
  • Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo-Lyase / metabolism
  • Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide / metabolism
  • Flavoproteins / chemistry*
  • Flavoproteins / genetics
  • Flavoproteins / metabolism
  • Models, Molecular
  • Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins / chemistry
  • Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins / genetics
  • Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins / metabolism
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • Static Electricity

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • CRY1 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Cryptochromes
  • Flavoproteins
  • Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Flavin-Adenine Dinucleotide
  • Adenylyl Imidodiphosphate
  • Adenosine Triphosphate
  • Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo-Lyase

Associated data

  • PDB/1U3C
  • PDB/1U3D