STRUCTURE AND EVOLUTION OF THE PLANT PHOTORECEPTOR PHYTOCHROME

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中利用 资源由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目和 调查员(PI)可能从NIH的另一个来源获得了主要资金， 并因此可以在其他清晰的条目中表示。列出的机构是 该中心不一定是调查人员的机构。 适应外部光环境变化的能力对植物的生存尤其重要，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来允许它们移动到更适宜的光环境。因此，植物拥有独特的感光分子光敏色素，使它们能够感知环境中光的强度、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营养生物中。我们的研究试图通过对开花植物、隐花植物和细菌的光敏色素相关蛋白的比较分析，为光敏色素感受器的结构、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感区和调节域的起源。这些包括GAF/BLIN裂解酶、PAS相关和组氨酸激酶相关的结构域，这些结构域存在于古生物、真核生物到真核生物的生命王国中的调节分子中。

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.