Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 27, 2026
07:58
Author Spotlight: Non-Invasive High-Resolution Measurement of Chlorophyll Synthesis During De-Etiolation
Published on: January 12, 2024
1.3K
Shadow on the Plant: A Strategy to Exit
Christian Fankhauser1, Alfred Batschauer2
1Centre for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Cell
|January 16, 2016
Summary
Crowding impacts plant light perception, causing shade avoidance syndrome (SAS). Cryptochromes are key to SAS, revealing molecular links between different light-sensing systems.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Photomorphogenesis
- Molecular genetics
Background:
- Plant light perception is crucial for growth and development.
- Shade avoidance syndrome (SAS) is a plant response to reduced light quality caused by neighboring plants.
- Photoreceptors, such as phytochromes and cryptochromes, mediate light responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of cryptochromes in mediating shade avoidance syndrome (SAS).
- To explore the molecular crosstalk between different photoreceptor systems in response to light spectrum changes.
Main Methods:
- Genetic analysis of cryptochrome mutants.
- Physiological measurements of plant responses to simulated shade conditions.
- Molecular assays to study gene expression and protein interactions.
Main Results:
- Cryptochromes play a significant role in the shade avoidance response.
- Evidence of molecular crosstalk between cryptochromes and other photoreceptor systems (e.g., phytochromes).
- Specific wavebands of light differentially affect SAS mediated by cryptochromes.
Conclusions:
- Cryptochromes are central players in the shade avoidance syndrome.
- The study elucidates a complex molecular network involving multiple photoreceptor systems.
- Understanding this crosstalk provides insights into plant adaptation to competitive light environments.
Related Concept Videos
01:57Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss
28.8K
Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.
28.8K
02:04Regulation of Transpiration by Stomata
32.2K
During photosynthesis, plants acquire the necessary carbon dioxide and release the produced oxygen back into the atmosphere. Openings in the epidermis of plant leaves is the site of this exchange of gasses. A single opening is called a stoma—derived from the Greek word for “mouth.” Stomata open and close in response to a variety of environmental cues.
32.2K
02:00Photoreceptors and Plant Responses to Light
29.0K
Light plays a significant role in regulating the growth and development of plants. In addition to providing energy for photosynthesis, light provides other important cues to regulate a range of developmental and physiological responses in plants.
29.0K
02:16Light Acquisition
9.8K
In order to produce glucose, plants need to capture sufficient light energy. Many modern plants have evolved leaves specialized for light acquisition. Leaves can be only millimeters in width or tens of meters wide, depending on the environment. Due to competition for sunlight, evolution has driven the evolution of increasingly larger leaves and taller plants, to avoid shading by their neighbors with contaminant elaboration of root architecture and mechanisms to transport water and nutrients.
9.8K
02:26Defenses Against Pathogens and Herbivores
30.0K
Plants present a rich source of nutrients for many organisms, making it a target for herbivores and infectious agents. Plants, though lacking a proper immune system, have developed an array of constitutive and inducible defenses to fend off these attacks.
30.0K
02:41Responses to Drought and Flooding
12.4K
Water plays a significant role in the life cycle of plants. However, insufficient or excess of water can be detrimental and pose a serious threat to plants.
12.4K