Cryptochromes and Their Role in the Process of Plant Adaptation

The perception of light by plants is ensured by a set of regulatory photoreceptors that respond to both changes in light spectral composition and its intensity, which allows them to adapt to changes in the external environment. Among the photoreceptors, phytochromes, the red and far-red light receptors, are the most studied. The blue light (BL) and UV-A receptors—cryptochromes are less studied and studying the role of cryptochromes in the perception of BL and green light (GL) and their participation in plant responses to the BL/GL ratio in the emission spectrum is one of the most important areas of modern research in plant physiology. The review analyzes the processes regulated by cryptochromes with a special emphasis on their role in the adaptation of the plant photosynthetic apparatus to stressful environmental conditions. A role of GL in processes regulated by cryptochromes is also considered.