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Photoreceptors and Plant Responses to Light

Photoreceptors and Plant Responses to Light

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.

Light Acquisition

Light Acquisition

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.

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

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.

Regulation of Transpiration by Stomata

Regulation of Transpiration by Stomata

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.

The Antenna Complex

The Antenna Complex

Plants and other photosynthetic organisms comprise pigments capable of absorption of direct sunlight. These pigments are present in the reaction center - the main site of photochemical reactions as well as in the antenna complex. Under average light conditions, the rate at which reaction center pigments absorb light is far below the electron transport chain's capacity. As a result, the reaction center alone cannot provide enough energy to drive photosynthesis. The photosynthetic efficiency can...

Cell Signaling in Plants

Cell Signaling in Plants

Plant cells communicate to coordinate their cycle of growth, flowering and fruiting, and activities in roots, shoots, and leaves in response to the changing environmental conditions. Plant signaling is distinct from animal signaling. Plants primarily utilize enzyme-linked receptors, whereas the largest class of cell-surface receptors in animals are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Unlike animals, receptor tyrosine kinases are rare in plants. Instead, plants have a diverse class of...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 23, 2026

Lignin Down-regulation of Zea mays via dsRNAi and Klason Lignin Analysis

Lignin Down-regulation of Zea mays via dsRNAi and Klason Lignin Analysis

Published on: July 23, 2014

Molecular control of crop shade avoidance.

Leonela G Carriedo¹, Julin N Maloof¹, Siobhan M Brady¹

¹Section of Plant Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, One Shields Avenue, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.

Current Opinion in Plant Biology

|March 27, 2016

Summary

The shade avoidance response (SAR) diverts crop resources from biomass to elongation, reducing yield. Understanding its genetic basis in crops, particularly auxin

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Area of Science:

Plant biology
Agricultural science
Genetics

Background:

The shade avoidance response (SAR) in crops redirects carbon resources from biomass production to stem and petiole elongation, negatively impacting yield.
While breeding has reduced SAR in staple crops, it remains a significant factor affecting agricultural productivity.
Extensive research in Arabidopsis provides a foundational understanding of SAR mechanisms applicable to crop species.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the current physiological and molecular knowledge of the shade avoidance response (SAR) in crops.
To highlight the role of auxin as a key regulator in crop SAR.
To emphasize the need for studying SAR genetic players across diverse crop species due to species-specific variations.

Main Methods:

Literature review of physiological and molecular studies on SAR in crops.
Analysis of research focusing on the role of auxin in regulating SAR.
Synthesis of findings from studies in model crop species.

Main Results:

Auxin is identified as a critical factor in regulating SAR across multiple crop species.
Evidence suggests that a single SAR model is insufficient for all crops, necessitating species-specific investigations.
Physiological and molecular data reveal complex interactions governing SAR.

Conclusions:

Understanding SAR is crucial for improving crop yield and resource allocation.
Targeting auxin pathways presents a potential strategy for managing SAR.
Further research into the genetic underpinnings of SAR in various crop models is essential for developing effective breeding strategies.