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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Plant Gene Expression Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #210957

Title: Phytochrome-regulated Gene Expression

Author
item QUAIL, PETER - ARS-UCB PLNT GENE EXP CTR

Submitted to: Journal of Integrative Plant Biology
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/12/2006
Publication Date: 1/10/2007
Citation: Quail, P.H. 2007. Phytochrome-regulated Gene Expression. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology. 49(1):11-20.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Identification of all genes involved in the phytochrome (phy)- mediated responses of plants to their light environment is an important goal in providing an overall understanding of light-regulated growth and development. This article highlights and integrates the central findings of two recent comprehensive studies in Arabidopsis that have identified the genome-wide set of phy-regulated genes that respond rapidly to red-light signals upon first exposure of dark-grown seedlings, and have tested the functional relevance to normal seedling photomorphogenesis of an initial subset of these genes. The data: (a) reveal considerable complexity in the channeling of the light signals through the different phy-family members (phyA to phyE) to responsive genes; (b) identify a diversity of transcription-factor-encoding genes as major early, if not primary, targets of phy signaling, and, therefore, as potentially important regulators in the transcriptional-network hierarchy; and (c) identify auxin-related genes as the dominant class among rapidly-regulated, hormone-related genes. However, reverse-genetic functional profiling of a selected subset of these genes reveals that only a limited fraction are necessary for optimal phy-induced seedling deetiolation.