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Updated: Jul 4, 2025

Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy of Plant Roots Growing on the Surface of a Gel
Published on: January 18, 2017
Root-specific photoreception directs early root development by HY5-regulated ROS balance
Jiaojiao Li1, Jian Zeng1, Zhaoxia Tian1
1Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China.
Abstract:
Root development is tightly controlled by light, and the response is thought to depend on signal transmission from the shoot. Here, we show that the root apical meristem perceives light independently from aboveground organs to activate the light-regulated transcription factor ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL5 (HY5). The ROS balance between H2O2 and superoxide anion in the root is disturbed under darkness with increased H2O2. We demonstrate that root-derived HY5 directly activates PER6 expression to eliminate H2O2. Moreover, HY5 directly represses UPBEAT1, a known inhibitor of peroxidases, to release the expression of PERs, partially contributing to the light control of ROS balance in the root. Our results reveal an unexpected ability in roots with specific photoreception and provide a mechanistic framework for the HY5-mediated interaction between light and ROS signaling in early root development.
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