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Chlamydomonas Photoreceptors: Cellular Functions and Impact on Physiology

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Chlamydomonas: Biotechnology and Biomedicine

Part of the book series: Microbiology Monographs ((MICROMONO,volume 31))

Abstract

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii accurately senses the information provided by light and regulates important cellular functions, including gene expression, sexual life cycle, phototaxis, photosynthesis, and photoprotection, using a network of specialized photoreceptors. It is equipped with a single-copy phototropin, four cryptochromes (one animal-type, one plant, and two DASH cryptochromes), and eight rhodopsin-like proteins (two animal-type rhodopsins, two microbial-type channelrhodopsins that act as light-gated cation-selective ion channels, and four histidine-kinase rhodopsins), as well as the UV-B photoreceptor UVR8. This review summarizes knowledge and recent findings on Chlamydomonas photoreceptors with a focus on their known cellular and physiological functions.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by The French National Agency for Research through the GRAL Labex (grant number ANR-10-LABX-49-01).

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Correspondence to Dimitris Petroutsos .

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Petroutsos, D. (2017). Chlamydomonas Photoreceptors: Cellular Functions and Impact on Physiology. In: Hippler, M. (eds) Chlamydomonas: Biotechnology and Biomedicine. Microbiology Monographs, vol 31. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66360-9_1

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