Journal of Photosciences

Structure and Function of the Phytochromes: Light Regulation of Plant Growth and Development

Volume 10(2003), 157-164 page

ÀúÀÚ: Chung-Mo Park and Pill-Soon Song

   10-1-157.pdf (196.3K)

Keywords: G-protein  growth hormone  light  photomorphogenesis  phytochrome  shade avoidance


Light exerts two primary roles in plant growth and development. Plants acquire all biochemical energy required for growth and propagation solely from light energy via photosynthesis. In addition, light serves as a medium through which plants recognize environmental fluctuations, such as photoperiod and presence of neighboring animals and plants. Plants therefore constantly monitor the direction, intensity, duration, and wavelength of environmental light and integrate these light signals into the intrinsic regulatory programs to achieve an optimized growth in a given light condition. Although light regulates all aspects of plant growth and developmental aspects, the molecular mechanisms and signaling cascades involved have not been well established until recently. However, recent advances in genetic tools and plant transformation techniques greatly facilitated the elucidation of molecular events in plant photomorphogenesis. This mini-review summarizes the gist of recent findings in deetiolation and suppression of shade avoidance response as classic examples of the phytochrome-mediated photomorphogenesis.