Molecular characterization of a cryptochrome in Neurospora crassa

ABSTRACT: Cryptochromes were identified in plants and animals where they function as either photoreceptors or circadian clock components. In the filamentous fungus Neurospora, the biological function of cryptochrome has not yet been explored. Here, we demonstrate that Neurospora crassa cryptochrome (Nc cry) is a DASH-type of cryptochrome, capable of binding FAD and MTHF, whose transcript and protein levels are both strongly induced by blue light in a wc-1 dependent manner. Although the Nc cry transcript is circadian-regulated and antiphasic to frq, knockout strains of Nc cry appears to have a normal clock phenotype. Whole genome microarray and RT-QPCR analysis confirm that Nc cry is not involved in the signal transduction of either early or late light responses and seems to have no transcriptional regulatory activity under our laboratory conditions. Our study concludes that the only cryptochrome in Neurospora crassa is dispensable for the well-characterized blue light sensing cascade and is not part of the circadian clock system. Keywords: light response

ORGANISM(S): Neurospora crassa

PROVIDER: GSE14909 | GEO | 2010/03/31

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA112015

REPOSITORIES: GEO