This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplemental Data All Versions of this Article: 142/3/1256    most recent pp.106.088351v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in Plant Physiol. Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Web of Science (6) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Dhingra, A. Articles by Folta, K. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Dhingra, A. Articles by Folta, K. M. Agricola Articles by Dhingra, A. Articles by Folta, K. M.

CELL BIOLOGY AND SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION

Green Light Adjusts the Plastid Transcriptome during Early Photomorphogenic Development^1,[W]

Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program and Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611

During the transition from darkness to light, a suite of light sensors guides gene expression, biochemistry, and morphology to optimize acclimation to the new environment. Ultraviolet, blue, red, and far-red light all have demonstrated roles in modulating light responses, such as changes in gene expression and suppression of stem growth rate. However, green wavebands induce stem growth elongation, a response not likely mediated by known photosensors. In this study, etiolated Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedlings were treated with a short, dim, single pulse of green light comparable in fluence and duration to that previously shown to excite robust stem elongation. Genome microarrays were then used to monitor coincident changes in gene expression. As anticipated, phytochrome A-regulated, nuclear-encoded transcripts were induced, confirming proper function of the sensitive phytochrome system. In addition, a suite of plastid-encoded transcripts decreased in abundance, including several typically up-regulated after phytochrome and/or cryptochrome activation. Further analyses using RNA gel-blot experiments demonstrated that the response is specific to green light, fluence dependent, and detectable within 30 min. The response obeys reciprocity and persists in the absence of known photosensors. Plastid transcript down-regulation was also observed in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) with similar temporal and fluence-response kinetics. Together, the down-regulation of plastid transcripts and increase in stem growth rate represent a mechanism that tempers progression of early commitment to the light environment, helping tailor seedling development during the critical process of establishment.

² Present address: Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164.

The author responsible for distribution of materials integral to the findings presented in this article in accordance with the policy described in the Instructions for Authors (www.plantphysiol.org) is: Kevin M. Folta (kfolta{at}ifas.ufl.edu).

^[W] The online version of this article contains Web-only data.

www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/doi/10.1104/pp/106.088351

^* Corresponding author; e-mail kfolta{at}ifas.ufl.edu; fax 352–392–5653.

Received August 15, 2006; accepted September 4, 2006; published September 15, 2006.

Related articles in Plant Physiol.:

On the Inside

Peter V. Minorsky
Plant Physiol. 2006 142: 807-808. [Full Text]  

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. K. Cho, S. Geimer, and J. Meurer Cluster Analysis and Comparison of Various Chloroplast Transcriptomes and Genes in Arabidopsis thaliana DNA Res, February 1, 2009; 16(1): 31 - 44. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. M. Folta and S. A. Maruhnich Green light: a signal to slow down or stop J. Exp. Bot., September 1, 2007; 58(12): 3099 - 3111. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. F. Devlin, J. M. Christie, and M. J. Terry Many hands make light work J. Exp. Bot., September 1, 2007; 58(12): 3071 - 3077. [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Banerjee, E. Schleicher, S. Meier, R. M. Viana, R. Pokorny, M. Ahmad, R. Bittl, and A. Batschauer The Signaling State of Arabidopsis Cryptochrome 2 Contains Flavin Semiquinone J. Biol. Chem., May 18, 2007; 282(20): 14916 - 14922. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]