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Review
. 2010;61(1):11-24.
doi: 10.1093/jxb/erp304.

Phytochrome functions in Arabidopsis development

Keara A Franklin  1 , Peter H Quail
Affiliations
Review

Phytochrome functions in Arabidopsis development

Keara A Franklin et al. J Exp Bot. 2010.

Abstract

Light signals are fundamental to the growth and development of plants. Red and far-red light are sensed using the phytochrome family of plant photoreceptors. Individual phytochromes display both unique and overlapping roles throughout the life cycle of plants, regulating a range of developmental processes from seed germination to the timing of reproductive development. The evolution of multiple phytochrome photoreceptors has enhanced plant sensitivity to fluctuating light environments, diversifying phytochrome function, and facilitating conditional cross-talk with other signalling systems. The isolation of null mutants, deficient in all individual phytochromes, has greatly advanced understanding of phytochrome functions in the model species, Arabidopsis thaliana. The creation of mutants null for multiple phytochrome combinations has enabled the dissection of redundant interactions between family members, revealing novel regulatory roles for this important photoreceptor family. In this review, current knowledge of phytochrome functions in the light-regulated development of Arabidopsis is summarised.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
WT (A), phyA (B), phyB (C), phyBDE (D), phyABE (E), and phyABDE (F) seedlings grown in 8 h photoperiods of white light at 120 μmol m−2 s−1. Scale bar represents 5 mm.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
WT (A), phyA (B), phyB (C), phyABE (D), and phyABDE (E) plants grown in 8 h photoperiods of white light at 120 μmol m−2 s−1. Scale bar represents 10 mm.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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