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Updated: May 31, 2026

Investigating Tissue- and Organ-specific Phytochrome Responses using FACS-assisted Cell-type Specific Expression Profiling in Arabidopsis thaliana
Published on: May 29, 2010
The adaptive evolution of plasticity: phytochrome-mediated shade avoidance responses.
Johanna Schmitt1, John R Stinchcombe, M Shane Heschel
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Box G-W, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912.
Plants adapt to shade using specific developmental responses triggered by light cues. These shade avoidance responses, mediated by phytochrome, are adaptive and show evolutionary divergence in different habitats.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Evolutionary ecology
- Photobiology
Background:
- Plants detect vegetation shade via the red to far-red light ratio (R:FR).
- Shade avoidance responses, like stem elongation, are mediated by phytochrome photoreceptors.
- These responses are crucial for plants in competitive environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the adaptive evolution of phenotypic plasticity in plant shade avoidance.
- Explore the ecological significance and molecular mechanisms of shade avoidance.
- Examine adaptive divergence in shade avoidance between different habitats.
Main Methods:
- Experimental manipulation of plant phenotypes.
- Comparative studies of natural populations.
- Reciprocal transplant experiments (e.g., with Impatiens capensis).
Main Results:
- Shade avoidance responses can be adaptive, increasing fitness in induced environments.
- Adaptive value depends on competition, resources, and R:FR cue reliability.
- Evidence of adaptive divergence in shade avoidance between woodland and clearing populations.
Conclusions:
- Shade avoidance traits show adaptive divergence, influenced by selection frequency and cue reliability.
- Phytochrome signaling pathways offer opportunities to study natural variation in shade avoidance.
- Understanding these mechanisms is key to plant adaptation in natural environments.
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