STRUCTURE AND EVOLUTION OF THE PLANT PHOTORECEPTOR PHYTOCHROME

该子项目是利用 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源。子项目和 研究者（PI）可能从另一个NIH来源获得主要资金， 因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。所列机构为 研究中心，而研究中心不一定是研究者所在的机构。 适应外部光环境变化的能力对植物生存特别重要，因为与动物不同，植物依赖阳光进行光合作用，它们没有神经肌肉系统，使它们能够移动到更佳的光环境。因此，植物具有独特的感光分子光敏色素，使它们能够感知其环境中光的强度，方向和光谱质量的频繁波动。光敏色素存在于从蓝藻到高等植物的几乎所有光合自养生物中。我们的研究旨在通过比较分析开花植物、隐花植物和细菌中光敏色素相关蛋白，为光敏色素受体的结构、功能和进化提供新的见解。通过蛋白质序列分析，我们希望了解光敏色素分子的光敏和调节结构域的起源。这些包括在古生物、真核生物至真核生物界的调节分子中发现的GAF/胆色素裂解酶、PAS相关和组氨酸激酶相关结构域。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The ability to adjust to changes in the external light environment is especially important to plant survival because, unlike animals, plants depend on sunlight for photosynthesis and they do not have a neuromuscular system which allows them to move to a more optimum light environment. Plants therefore possess the unique light-sensing photoreceptor molecule phytochrome which enables them to perceive the frequent fluctuations of intensity, direction and spectral quality of light in their environment. Phytochrome is found in nearly all photoautrophic organisms from cyanobacteia to higher plants. Our studies seek to provide new insight into the structure, function and evolution of the phytochrome photoreceptor through comparative analysis of the phytochrome-related proteins from flowering plants, cryptogams and bacteria. Through protein sequence analyses, we hope to learn of the origins of both photosensory and regulatory domains of the phytochrome molecule. These include the GAF/bilin lyase, PAS-related and histidine kinase-related domains found in regulatory molecules found in archae, eukaryae to eukaryae kingdoms of life.