Photoantenna in two cryptochrome-photolyase proteins from O. tauri: Presence, nature and ultrafast photoinduced dynamics

► Photolyase OtCPF1 does not bind any photoantenna; cryptochrome OtCPF2 binds MTHF. ► In OtCPF2, FRET from MTHF to FADox takes place in 15 ps, and in 100 ps to FADH−. ► Excited free MTHF in solution decays in the sub-100 ps regime. ► Quenching mechanism of free MTHF is proposed to involve large-amplitude motion. ► Deazaflavin 8-HDF is proposed to be the photoantenna of OtCFP1 in vivo.