Flavin-Dependent Photobiology

Although the involvement of FMN in bacterial luciferase action has been known for a long time, the recent past has experienced the beginning of an understanding of this bioluminescence in terms of chemical bonding. The following hypotheses have been established  

Similarly there are strong hints in favour of flavin-dependent phototropy in Phycornyces fungi (757) as well as in com seedlings All this points to the fact that within the near future, flavin-dependent energy and signal transfer may develop into an important problem of molecular sensory physiology . 

It may have become apparent from the content of this review that flavin is a somewhat omnipotent molecule. After 20 years of active involvement in flavin chemistry, the present reviewer still feels that he stands at the very beginning, though twenty years ago flavin was held to be a solved problem in contemporary natural product chemistry . 

Thanks are due to numerous members of the world-wide flavin community for communication of recent data and critical evaluation, sometimes denial of ideas brought forth in this article. In spite of this, the reviewer did not hesitate to articulate what he thinks are chemically sound speculations on the molecular biology of flavin-dependent oxido-reduction . The future will decide. 

Special mention must be made of Dr. Sandro Ghisla s outstanding contributions to chapter IX and of the assistance in the assembling of data given by Albert Wessiak. 

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