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Stem phototropism toward blue and ultraviolet light
Martina Legris1, Alessandra Boccaccini1
1Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Physiologia Plantarum
|March 26, 2020
Summary
Plants use phototropism to grow towards light. While phototropins detect blue light, the UV-B light receptor UVR8 also drives phototropism, with new molecular insights emerging.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Photobiology
- Molecular mechanisms
Background:
- Positive phototropism guides plant organ orientation towards directional light.
- Phototropins (phot) are key receptors for blue (B) and ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
- Recent studies indicate UV-B light also triggers phototropism via the UVR8 receptor.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current knowledge on hypocotyledonous and inflorescence stem reorientation towards B and UVB light.
- To focus on the molecular mechanisms governing these phototropic responses.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent research on plant phototropism.
- Analysis of molecular mechanisms involving phototropins and UVR8.
- Synthesis of information on environmental signal interactions.
Main Results:
- Phototropins mediate phototropism towards blue and UV light.
- UVR8 acts as a receptor, mediating phototropism specifically towards UV-B radiation.
- New details on receptor activity and interaction with other environmental signals have been elucidated.
Conclusions:
- Both phototropins and UVR8 play significant roles in plant phototropism.
- Understanding the molecular basis of UV-B-induced phototropism is advancing.
- This review consolidates current understanding of light-mediated plant growth reorientation.
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