Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Photoreceptors and Plant Responses to Light02:00

Photoreceptors and Plant Responses to Light

28.2K
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.
28.2K
Light Acquisition02:16

Light Acquisition

9.3K
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.
9.3K
Cell Signaling in Plants01:25

Cell Signaling in Plants

6.1K
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...
6.1K
Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss01:57

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

27.8K
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.
27.8K
Short-distance Transport of Resources02:12

Short-distance Transport of Resources

17.3K
Short-distance transport refers to transport that occurs over a distance of just 2-3 cells, crossing the plasma membrane in the process. Small uncharged molecules, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water, can diffuse across the plasma membrane on their own. In contrast, ions and larger molecules require the assistance of transport proteins due to their charge or size. Transport across membranes also occurs within individual cells, playing a variety of essential roles for the plant as a whole.
17.3K
Defenses Against Pathogens and Herbivores02:26

Defenses Against Pathogens and Herbivores

29.4K
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.
29.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Far-red perception by vegetative organs and not fruits drives fruit growth responses in tomato plants.

Plant physiology·2026
Same author

The Lettuce Expression Browser: from lab to LEB.

The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology·2026
Same author

Plant movements: navigating the light environment.

Plant physiology·2026
Same author

Gibberellin transport affects lateral root growth through HY5 in response to far-red light.

The Plant cell·2025
Same author

Effect of Low Red-to-Far-Red Light on Stem Elongation and Pith Cell Development in Dicots.

Plant direct·2025
Same author

Transcription factors SlMYB41, SlMYB92, and SlWRKY71 regulate gene expression in the tomato exodermis.

Journal of experimental botany·2025
Same journal

Genome-Wide Identification and Functional Characterization of Dof Transcription Factors Involved in Salt Stress Responses in Taraxacum kok-saghyz.

Physiologia plantarum·2026
Same journal

Role of Nitric Oxide, Ethylene, Hydrogen Sulfide and Their Interplay With Histone Acetylation in Plants.

Physiologia plantarum·2026
Same journal

Drought and Freezing Compromise Woody-Plant Functioning in High Mountain Ecosystems Under Mediterranean Climate: The Case of Bencomia exstipulata.

Physiologia plantarum·2026
Same journal

SlTWD1 Affects Leaf Growth Primarily via Cell Expansion and Contributes to Leaf and Fruit Size Control in Tomato.

Physiologia plantarum·2026
Same journal

Root Hydraulic Adjustment Contributes to Water Balance in Arabidopsis With Increased Stomatal Density.

Physiologia plantarum·2026
Same journal

Integrated Physiological and Ornamental Responses of Cestrum nocturnum to Salinity Stress: Identifying Tolerance Thresholds Under Saline Irrigation.

Physiologia plantarum·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 28, 2025

Robotic Sensing and Stimuli Provision for Guided Plant Growth
08:02

Robotic Sensing and Stimuli Provision for Guided Plant Growth

Published on: July 1, 2019

8.4K

The bHLH network underlying plant shade-avoidance.

Sara Buti1, Scott Hayes2, Ronald Pierik1

  • 1Plant Ecophysiology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584 CH, The Netherlands.

Physiologia Plantarum
|February 14, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Plants avoid shade by elongating stems and leaves, a process controlled by photoreceptors and transcription factors. This review details the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) network

More Related Videos

Using Changes in Leaf Transmission to Investigate Chloroplast Movement in Arabidopsis thaliana
07:45

Using Changes in Leaf Transmission to Investigate Chloroplast Movement in Arabidopsis thaliana

Published on: July 14, 2021

2.6K
Investigating Tissue- and Organ-specific Phytochrome Responses using FACS-assisted Cell-type Specific Expression Profiling in Arabidopsis thaliana
10:10

Investigating Tissue- and Organ-specific Phytochrome Responses using FACS-assisted Cell-type Specific Expression Profiling in Arabidopsis thaliana

Published on: May 29, 2010

16.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 28, 2025

Robotic Sensing and Stimuli Provision for Guided Plant Growth
08:02

Robotic Sensing and Stimuli Provision for Guided Plant Growth

Published on: July 1, 2019

8.4K
Using Changes in Leaf Transmission to Investigate Chloroplast Movement in Arabidopsis thaliana
07:45

Using Changes in Leaf Transmission to Investigate Chloroplast Movement in Arabidopsis thaliana

Published on: July 14, 2021

2.6K
Investigating Tissue- and Organ-specific Phytochrome Responses using FACS-assisted Cell-type Specific Expression Profiling in Arabidopsis thaliana
10:10

Investigating Tissue- and Organ-specific Phytochrome Responses using FACS-assisted Cell-type Specific Expression Profiling in Arabidopsis thaliana

Published on: May 29, 2010

16.2K

Area of Science:

  • Plant Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Shade poses a significant environmental challenge for many plant species.
  • Shade-intolerant plants exhibit shade-avoidance responses, including stem and leaf elongation, to optimize light capture.
  • This adaptive growth is regulated by photoreceptors and transcriptional regulators.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in understanding the structure and function of the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor network.
  • To elucidate how this bHLH network regulates shade-induced elongation growth in plants.
  • To highlight the modulatory role of photoreceptors in the bHLH network through direct interactions.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent research on bHLH transcription factors and shade-avoidance.
  • Analysis of molecular mechanisms controlling plant elongation growth.
  • Integration of findings on photoreceptor-transcription factor interactions.

Main Results:

  • The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family of transcription factors plays a crucial role in mediating shade-induced elongation.
  • Many bHLH proteins function through heterodimerization, forming a complex regulatory network.
  • Photoreceptors directly interact with bHLH transcription factors, modulating the shade-avoidance response.

Conclusions:

  • The bHLH network is central to regulating plant elongation in response to shade.
  • Understanding the intricate interactions within the bHLH network and with photoreceptors is key to deciphering shade-avoidance mechanisms.
  • This review provides a theoretical framework for future research into the molecular basis of plant shade-avoidance.