XVI International Botanical Congess

In gametophytes of ferns, numerous photoresponses have been studied. Some of these phenomena such as spore germination, phototropic response, cell cycle are regulated by blue/UV-A light. To address the mechanisms of these responses at a molecular level, we have isolated cryptochrome genes from fern Adiantum. Cryptochrome is encoded by small gene family that composed of five genes. Deduced amino acid sequences of these genes show sufficient structural features of cryptochrome hallmark, N-terminal domain is highly similar to bacterial photolyases and posses C-terminal extension. We have investigated gene expression pattern of these five genes under various light conditions and predicted subcellular localization of cryptochromes using GUS::CRY. In this talk, I will show these recent progress of studies about molecular properties of these gene products and further discuss its physiological functions.