Mutational analyses of light-controlled seedling development in Arabidopsis

Arabidopsis mutants with decreased responses to light and mutants showing light responses in the dark have both been characterized. Some of the former mutants lack specific photoreceptors, such as the red/far-red light receptor phytochrome A, phytochrome B, or a putative blue light receptor, HY4. These have allowed the assessment of physiological functions of these photoreceptors. The mutants with light responses in the dark include some, such as det1 and cop1, that appear to identify light signal transduction components, and others, such as fus6, that may be less directly related to normal control of light responses. Double mutant studies suggest how the different gene products might interact.