Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2026

Electrophysiological Methods for Measuring Photopigment Levels in Drosophila Photoreceptors
Published on: June 2, 2022
Decoding darkness by seeking photoreceptor functions with and without light
1Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of High-Efficiency Utilization of Light in Plants, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.
None:
Plants decode environmental light cues through photoreceptors to orchestrate growth and developmental programs. Upon photon absorption, photoreceptor proteins transition from non-photoexcited to photoexcited states, with most functional studies focusing on the activities of the photoexcited form. However, emerging evidence reveals that non-photoexcited photoreceptors exert distinct biological functions in darkness, suggesting unexpected complexity in photon-mediated signalling. In this Perspective, we enumerate current observations underpinning photoreceptor-mediated control of plant development in darkness, categorize mechanisms of photon-dependent modulation and propose an expanded conceptual model that integrates both photoexcited and non-photoexcited activities. These insights reassess the previously overlooked importance of darkness, redefining light and darkness as dynamic, multidimensional regulators of plant physiology.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways
Photoreceptors and Plant Responses to Light
Anatomy of the Eyeball
The Retina
Channel Rhodopsins
Rhodopsins belong to the family of cell surface proteins called G-protein coupled receptors,...

