Recent Posts

Integration of light signaling with endogenous developmental pathway to regulate flowering (Mol. Plant)

Response to changing environmental conditions is key for plant reproductive success. Previous studies have implicated FAR-RED ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL3 (FHY3) and FAR-RED IMPAIRED RESPONSE1 (FAR1) as inhibitors of flowering in phytochrome A signaling pathway. miR156-targeted SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN…

Review: Mechanisms regulating PIF transcription factor activity at the protein level ($) (Physiol. Plant.)

Absorption of red and far-red light by phytochromes dramatically affects plant development, and many of these effects are mediated by the PIF (PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR) family of transcription factors. Favero reviews the many ways that PIF activity is regulated beyond through their interactions…

Central clock components modulate plant shade avoidance by directly repressing transcriptional activation activity of PIF proteins ($) (PNAS)

PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTORs (PIFs) are transcriptional factors that relay light signals from the phytochrome photoreceptors to regulate the expression of light-sensitive genes, but there is not a direct correlation between PIF binding and expression of the target genes. In this paper, Zhang Y et…

Review: Role of blue and red light in stomatal dynamic behaviour (J Exp Bot)

Guard cells are extremely sensitive and dynamic, and their behaviour controls rates of gas exchange and transpiration, which affect evaporative cooling and transport in the xylem. Matthews et al. review the roles of light signalling pathways in guard cell responses. Cues that control guard cell ion channels…

Subdivision of light signaling networks contributes to partitioning of C4 photosynthesis (Plant Physiol)

Some plants such as Zea mays partition different components of the photosynthetic pathway in mesophyll cells (MC) and bundle sheath cells (BSC) in a process known as two-cell C4 photosynthesis. For example, light-harvesting reactions carried out by photosystem I and II (PSI and PSII) occur only in the…

CSN5 of COP9 signalosome modulates heat-response of Arabidopsis (biomolecules)

COP9 signalosome (CSN) is a conserved multi-subunit complex in higher eukaryotes that was originally identified as a regulator of plant photomorphogenesis. It functions by regulating ubiquitin-mediated protein stability, through the deneddylase enzymatic acitivity of the CSN5 subunit. CSN5 is encoded…

A new B-BOX containing protein regulates red light photomorphogenesis ($) (PNAS)

As the primary red light photoreceptor in Arabidopsis, phyB affects various developmental processes, such as seed germination, shade avoidance, etc. PIF3 is a key repressor of phyB-mediated photomorphogenesis that is degraded in red light. Recently Heng et al. identified a positive regulator of red light…

Coordinated regulation of pre-mRNA splicing by the SFPS-RRC1 complex to promote photomorphogenesis ($) (Plant Cell)

Phytochromes are a family of red/far-red light photoreceptors, which positively regulate photomorphogenesis upon red-light perception. Photomorphogenesis is driven by light-induced global transcriptional reprogramming, of which phytochromes are one of the most important regulators. In addition to transcriptional…

A phyB-PIF1-SPA1 kinase regulatory complex promotes photomorphogenesis in Arabidopsis (OA) (Nature Communications)

CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1) is one of the best characterized E3 ubiquitin ligases with broad roles as a central repressor of light signaling in plants to cancer biology in mammals. In plants, COP1 interacts with SUPPRESSOR OF PHYA-105 1 family members (SPA1-SPA4) and forms a stable COP1/SPA…