Plant Photosensory Receptor CRY2 Signaling Mechanism

描述(由申请人提供)：能够感知和响应 光环境的变化是生物体的一个基本特征。这个 蓝/UV-A光感受器隐色素是唯一起作用的光感受器 在植物和动物中调节光周期反应和 生物钟，不仅与植物发育有关， 而且还有各种人类健康问题，包括睡眠障碍和 行为障碍。我们最近发现拟南芥Cry2是一种 控制植物光周期开花的主要光感受器。我们还有 发现一种钙结合蛋白SUB1是下游信号之一 Cry2的组成。我们假设蛋白质之间的相互作用是 与Cry2的早期信号传递过程和基因调控有关 表达是Cry2功能的主要机制。我们建议 继续研究拟南芥Cry2的信号转导机制。这个 这项建议的目标是：(1)鉴定和表征基因 并克隆和鉴定SuB4基因和 验证一个假设，即SuB4可能作为Cry2的负调控因子。(2)至 研究Cry2如何通过识别光周期开花基因来调节光周期开花 该基因的表达受Cry2调控。(3)继续描述 我们最近分离的Cry2相互作用蛋白，并分离和 鉴定额外的Cry2相互作用蛋白。(4)隔离和 蓝光诱导的拟南芥Cry2损伤突变体的特征 降解和蓝光依赖的转录诱导。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The ability to sense and respond to the changing light environment is a fundamental feature of living organisms. The blue/UV-A light receptor cryptochromes is the only photoreceptor that functions in both plants and animals to regulate photoperiodic responses and the circadian clock, which have been associated with not only plant development, but also various human health problems including sleeping disorders and behavioral disorders. We have recently discovered that Arabidopsis cry2 is a major photoreceptor controlling photoperiodic flowering in plants. We have also found that a calcium-binding protein SUB1 is one of the downstream signaling components of cry2. We hypothesize that protein-protein interaction is associated with the early signaling process of cry2 and that regulation of gene expression is a major mechanism underlying cry2 function. We propose to continue investigate the signal transduction mechanism of Arabidopsis cry2. The objectives of this proposal are: (1) to identify and characterize the genetic suppressors of the sub1 mutant, and to clone and characterize the SUB4 gene and test a hypothesis that SUB4 may act as a negative regulator of cry2. (2) to investigate how cry2 regulates photoperiodic flowering by identifying genes for which the expression is regulated by cry2. (3) to continue characterize a cry2-interacting protein that we have recently isolated, and to isolate and characterize additional cry2-interactinig proteins. (4) to isolate and characterize Arabidopsis mutants impaired in blue light-induced cry2 degradation and blue light-dependent induction of transcription.