DASH cryptochrome 1, a UV‐A receptor, balances the photosynthetic machinery of <i>Chlamydomonas reinhardtii</i>

Drosophila, Arabidopsis, Synechocystis, Homo (DASH) cryptochromes belong to the cryptochrome/photolyase family and can act as DNA repair enzymes. In bacteria fungi, they also play regulatory roles, but in plants their biological functions remain elusive. Here, we characterize CRY-DASH1 from green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. We perform biochemical vitro photochemical analysis. For functional characterization, a knock-out mutant of cry-dash1 is used. protein localized chloroplast accumulates at midday. Although photoautotrophic growth significantly reduced compared wild-type (WT), has increased levels photosynthetic pigments higher maximum efficiency photosystem II (PS II). Hyper-stacking thylakoid membranes occurs together with an increase proteins PS reaction center, D1 its antenna CP43, not transcripts. binds fully flavin adenine dinucleotide 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate, leading absorption peak UV-A range. Supplementation white light increases WT mutant. These results suggest balancing function machinery point role photoreceptor for range separated pigments.