Phototropins are photoreceptor proteins (more specifically, flavoproteins) that mediate phototropism responses in higher plants. Along with and they allow plants to respond and alter their growth in response to the light environment. Phototropins may also be important for the opening of stomata and the movement of chloroplasts.
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. Phototropins have been shown to impact the movement of chloroplast inside the cell. In addition phototropins mediate the first changes in stem elongation in blue light prior to cryptochrome activation. Phototropin is also required for blue light mediated transcript destabilization of specific mRNAs in the cell.