From light perception to energy signaling: integrating carbon dynamics with the Tre6P-SnRK1-TOR growth-stress axis
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 30, 2026

A Flexible Low Cost Hydroponic System for Assessing Plant Responses to Small Molecules in Sterile Conditions
Published on: August 25, 2018
Muhammad Asim1, Zexian Zeng1, Xiong Yan2
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 518060, China.
Abstract:
Plants growing in fluctuating environments require dynamic coordination between carbon availability and growth-stress decisions. Trehalose-6-phosphate (Tre6P), a sugar signal linked to sucrose status, helps coordinate these decisions by regulating SUCROSE NON-FERMENTING 1-RELATED KINASE 1 (SnRK1)- and TARGET OF RAPAMYCIN (TOR)-dependent growth programs. Here, we synthesize recent advances in photosynthetic carbon dynamics, carbon sensing, and Tre6P-SnRK1-TOR signaling, highlighting emerging regulatory layers including Class II TREHALOSE PHOSPHATE SYNTHASE proteins, SnRK1 compartmentalization, and stress-associated TOR regulation. We further discuss how different photosynthetic strategies of carbon fixation, including C3, C4, and crassulacean acid metabolism, as well as UV-B signaling through UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8, influence carbon-energy signaling. Finally, we outline unresolved questions relevant to crop resilience under fluctuating environments.
More Related Videos
08:53Visualizing Cellular Gibberellin Levels Using the nlsGPS1 Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) Biosensor
Published on: January 12, 2019
10:20Evaluation of Photosynthetic Behaviors by Simultaneous Measurements of Leaf Reflectance and Chlorophyll Fluorescence Analyses
Published on: August 9, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Photoreceptors and Plant Responses to Light
Cell Signaling in Plants
Short-distance Transport of Resources
Signal Transduction: Overview
Typically, signal transduction involves three...
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
C4 Pathway and CAM
C4 Pathway
The C4 pathway is used by plants such as...