Biology of Light-Sensing Proteins in Plants and Microorganisms

Abstract

A wide variety of light-sensing proteins that are found in plants and microorganisms and that provide natural resources for engineering optogenetic tools are briefl y reviewed. We include microbial rhodopsins, which absorb blue/ green light; phytochromes, which absorb red/far-red light; UV-A/blue-absorbing fl avoproteins (cryptochromes, LOV-domain proteins, BLUF-domain proteins); and the recently discovered UV-B sensor UVR8. Among them, the signifi cance of channelrhodopsins and photoactivated adenylyl cyclases is emphasized.