Phototropism in Arabidopsis roots is mediated by two sensory systems

Phototropism has been well-characterized in stems and stem-like organs, but there have been relatively few studies of root phototropism. Our experiments suggest that there are two photosensory systems that elicit phototropic responses in roots of Arabidopsis thaliana: a previously identified blue-light photoreceptor system mediated by phototropin (=NPH1 protein) and a novel red-light-based mechanism. The phototropic responses in roots are much weaker than the graviresponse, which competes with and often masks the phototropic response. It was through the use of mutant plants with a weakened graviresponse that we were able to identify the activity of the red-light-dependent phototropic system. In addition, the red-light-based photoresponse in roots is even weaker compared to the blue-light response. Our results also suggest that phytochrome may be involved in mediating positive phototropism in roots.