隐光敏素及其信号传导研究进展

隐光敏素是一种对植物生长发育起调节作用的与光敏素功能相似的蓝光受体。90’s后特别是近年来对植物隐光敏素进行了较深入的研究，已知隐光敏素存在于植物，也存在于动物中。隐光敏素在植物种子萌发中的去黄化作用、光周期诱导开花、调节昼夜节律性等方面起重要作用；本文介绍了隐光敏素基因及其蛋白质的特征特性，包括隐光敏素的结构特征，在植物中的分布、在细胞中定位及其基因表达情况； 在其基础上，概述了隐光敏素调节植物光形态建成和动、植物昼夜节律性过程中所起的作用，通过分析隐光敏素及其与互作蛋白的关系， 初步阐述了隐光敏素如何经过信号传导通道上的蛋白而起调节植物生命活动的功能。指出深入研究隐光敏素及其信号传导以阐明植物的光形态建成具有重大理论和实践意义。

Advances in Cryptocromes and Their Signal Transduction

Cryptochromes are blue light receptors which share the similar function with the phytochromes in regulation of the growth and development in plants. After 90's, especially in the recent years, profound studies have been carried around the cryptochromes. Cryptochromes were found not only in plants, but also in animals. It has been known that cryptochromes are involved in de-etiolation in seed germination, photoperiodic-inductive flowering, regulation of circadian rhythm, etc. In the article, we introduced the characteristics of cryptochromes and the genes, including cryptochromes structure, the presence in plant kingdom, the localization in cells, and the expression regulated by light. In addition, the function of cryptochrome in plant photomorphogenesis and in controlling of the circadian clock in plants and animals was summarized. Through analysis of the relationships between cryptochromes and the interacted proteins, we clarified primarily the roles of how cryptochromes mediate the plant growth and development via interacting with proteins in the signal pathway. It was suggested that studying the cryptochromes and their signal transduction profoundly to disclose the nature of plant photomorphogenesis will be of great importance both to biologic theory as well as application.