Plant Phototropic Growth

Fankhauser, C. and Christie, J. M. (2015) Plant Phototropic Growth. Current Biology, 25(9), R384-R389. (doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.03.020) (PMID:25942556)

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Abstract

Plants are photoautotrophic sessile organisms that use environmental cues to optimize multiple facets of growth and development. A classic example is phototropism — in shoots this is typically positive, leading to growth towards the light, while roots frequently show negative phototropism triggering growth away from the light. Shoot phototropism optimizes light capture of leaves in low light environments and hence increases photosynthetic productivity. Phototropins are plasma-membrane-associated UV-A/blue-light activated kinases that trigger phototropic growth. Light perception liberates their protein kinase domain from the inhibitory action of the amino-terminal photosensory portion of the photoreceptor. Following a series of still poorly understood events, phototropin activation leads to the formation of a gradient of the growth hormone auxin across the photo-stimulated stem. The greater auxin concentration on the shaded compared with the lit side of the stem enables growth reorientation towards the light. In this Minireview, we briefly summarize the signaling steps starting from photoreceptor activation until the establishment of a lateral auxin gradient, ultimately leading to phototropic growth in shoots.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Christie, Professor John
Authors: Fankhauser, C., and Christie, J. M.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Molecular Biosciences
Journal Name:Current Biology
Publisher:Cell Press
ISSN:0960-9822
ISSN (Online):1879-0445

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Project CodeAward NoProject NamePrincipal InvestigatorFunder's NameFunder RefLead Dept
608111Modulation of Phytochrome B Signalling by PhosphorylationJohn ChristieBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)BB/K008129/1RI MOLECULAR CELL & SYSTEMS BIOLOGY
659801Photoreceptor Engineering to Modulate Plant GrowthJohn ChristieBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)BB/M002128/1RI MOLECULAR CELL & SYSTEMS BIOLOGY