Biological function of aureochromes in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum

硅藻是一种单细胞藻类，可以在任何水生栖息地找到。作为主要的光自养生物，硅藻利用光作为光合作用的驱动力，但也用于细胞调节。我们已经证明，蓝光受体负责触发新陈代谢变化，从而诱导高光适应。有证据表明，具有bZIP和LOV结构域的蓝光受体和转录因子金色蛋白(Aureos)可能与这种光适应反应有关。我们已经产生了Aureo突变体，这些突变体在蛋白质水平上显著减少了AUREO1a。如果光适应反应受损，这些突变体将在生理水平上进行研究。在基因组水平上，我们希望确定Aureo蛋白的顺式作用元件以及相互作用伙伴。

Diatoms are unicellular algae that can be found in any aquatic habitat. Being mainly photoautotrophs, diatoms use light as a driving force for photosynthesis but also for cellular regulation. Wehave shown that a blue light receptor is responsible for triggering the metabolic changes which induce high light acclimation. There is some evidence that aureochromes (AUREOs) which are blue light receptors and transcriptions factors possessing a bZIP and a LOV domain may be responsible for this light acclimation reaction. We have generated Aureo mutants which are significantly decreased in AUREO1a on the protein level. These mutants will be studied on the physiological level if the light acclimation reaction is impaired. On the genomic level we want to identify cis-acting elements as well as interaction partners of the AUREO proteins.