15 research outputs found
Chemical and structural analysis of a photoactive vertebrate cryptochrome from pigeon
Computational and biochemical studies implicate the blue-light sensor cryptochrome (CRY) as an endogenous light-dependent magnetosensor enabling migratory birds to navigate using the Earth's magnetic field. Validation of such a mechanism has been hampered by the absence of structures of vertebrate CRYs that have functional photochemistry. Here we present crystal structures of Columba livia (pigeon) CRY4 that reveal evolutionarily conserved modifications to a sequence of Trp residues (Trp-triad) required for CRY photoreduction. In ClCRY4, the Trp-triad chain is extended to include a fourth Trp (W369) and a Tyr (Y319) residue at the protein surface that imparts an unusually high quantum yield of photoreduction. These results are consistent with observations of night migratory behavior in animals at low light levels and could have implications for photochemical pathways allowing magnetosensing
Self-adapting root-MUSIC algorithm and its real-valued formulation for acoustic vector sensor array
Design for sustainability: An introduction
Historically, the reaction of humankind to environmental degradation, especially since the second half of the last century, has moved from an end-of-pipe approach to actions increasingly aimed at prevention.Design for Sustainabilit