Phototropins are blue light photoreceptor proteins (more specifically, flavoproteins) that mediate phototropism responses across many species of algae, fungi and higher plants. Phototropins can be found throughout the leaves of a plant. Along with cryptochromes and phytochromes they allow plants to respond and alter their growth in response to the light environment. When phototropins are hit with blue light, they induce a signal transduction pathway that alters the plant cells' functions in different ways.
Phototropins are part of the phototropic sensory system in plants that causes various environmental responses in plants. Phototropins specifically will cause stems to bend towards light and stomata to open. In addition phototropins mediate the first changes in stem elongation in blue light prior to cryptochrome activation. Phototropins are also required for blue light mediated transcript destabilization of specific mRNAs in the cell.
