Light-responsive cryptochromes from a simple multicellular animal, the coral Acropora millepora

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dc.contributor.authorLevy, O.en
dc.contributor.authorAppelbaum, L.en
dc.contributor.authorLeggat, W.en
dc.contributor.authorGothilf, Y.en
dc.contributor.authorHayward, David C.en
dc.contributor.authorMiller, David Jamesen
dc.contributor.authorHoegh-Guldberg, Oen
dc.contributor.organisationCentre for the Molecular Genetics of Developmenten
dc.contributor.schoolSchool of Earth and Environmental Sciencesen
dc.date.issued2007en
dc.description.abstractHundreds of species of reef-building corals spawn synchronously over a few nights each year, and moonlight regulates this spawning event. However, the molecular elements underpinning the detection of moonlight remain unknown. Here we report the presence of an ancient family of blue-light–sensing photoreceptors, cryptochromes, in the reef-building coral Acropora millepora. In addition to being cryptochrome genes from one of the earliest-diverging eumetazoan phyla, cry1 and cry2 were expressed preferentially in light. Consistent with potential roles in the synchronization of fundamentally important behaviors such as mass spawning, cry2 expression increased on full moon nights versus new moon nights. Our results demonstrate phylogenetically broad roles of these ancient circadian clock–related molecules in the animal kingdom.en
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityO. Levy, L. Appelbaum, W. Leggat, Y. Gothlif, D. C. Hayward, D. J. Miller, O. Hoegh-Guldbergen
dc.identifier.citationScience, 2007; 318(5849):467-470en
dc.identifier.doi10.1126/science.1145432en
dc.identifier.issn0036-8075en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2440/47849
dc.rights© 2007 American Association for the Advancement of Scienceen
dc.titleLight-responsive cryptochromes from a simple multicellular animal, the coral Acropora milleporaen
dc.typeJournal articleen

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