| Abstract Detail
Plant Photoreceptors and Photomorphogenesis Liscum, Mannie [1], Celaya, R. Brandon [1], Pedrnale, Ullas [1], Esmon, Johanna Morrow [2], Tinsley, Amanda [3], Rabenold, Jessica J. [4], Galen, Candace [5]. Bend me, shape me, feed me: insights into the mechanisms and outcomes of phototropism. Phototropism, or the directional growth (curvature) of a given organ towards or away from directional blue light (BL), represents an evolutionarily conserved response in the plant kingdom. Over the past decade considerable advance have been made in our understanding of the molecular and genetic mechanisms by which plant achieve this response. For example, it is now clear that a small family of photoreceptor proteins known as the phototropins, which are defined by the presence of two amino-terminal chromophore (FMN)-binding domains and a carboxyl-terminal protein kinase domain, mediate perception of directional BL cues. The role of auxin as a critical modulator of phototropism has also been refined to show that differential patterns of auxin accumulation lead to differential changes in expression of genes encoding proteins capable of modulating subsequent signaling and the growth response itself. Beyond the advances in our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the phototropic responses, the past few years have also witnessed substantial strides in our appreciation for the evolutionary value of phototropism in nature. In particular, studies with Arabidopsis have shown that the ability of roots to phototropically grow away from the soil surface affords young seedlings a significant adaptive mechanism for avoiding drought.
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1 - University of Missouri-Columbia, C.S. Bond Life Sciences Center, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
2 - UNiversity of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
3 - Georgetown University, School of MedicineW, Washington,, D.C., 20557, USA
4 - University of Missouri-Columbia, Division of Biological Science, 216 Tucker Hall, Columbia, Missouri, 65211, USA
5 - University of Missouri-Columbia, Biological Sciences, 105 Tucker Hall, Columbia, Missouri, 65211, USA
Keywords:
phototropism
growth trajectory
evolutionary aspects of phototropism
root growth
amino-terminal chromatophore (FMN)-binding
carboxyl-terminal protein kinase domain
auxin modulation
blue light.
Presentation Type: Symposium or Colloquium Presentation
Session: SY04
Location: Boulevard C/Hilton
Date: Monday, July 9th, 2007
Time: 10:00 AM
Number: SY04004
Abstract ID:893 |
