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From photon to signal in phytochromes: similarities and differences between prokaryotic and plant phytochromes

  • JPR Symposium
  • The Cutting Edge of Photoresponse Mechanisms: Photoreceptor and Signaling Mechanism
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Abstract

Phytochromes represent a diverse family of red/far-red-light absorbing chromoproteins which are widespread across plants, cyanobacteria, non-photosynthetic bacteria, and more. Phytochromes play key roles in regulating physiological activities in response to light, a critical element in the acclimatization to the environment. The discovery of prokaryotic phytochromes facilitated structural studies which deepened our understanding on the general mechanisms of phytochrome action. An extrapolation of this information to plant phytochromes is justified for universally conserved functional aspects, but it is also true that there are many aspects which are unique to plant phytochromes. Here I summarize some structural studies carried out to date on both prokaryotic and plant phytochromes. I also attempt to identify aspects which are common or unique to plant and prokaryotic phytochromes. Phytochrome themselves, as well as the downstream signaling pathway in plants are more complex than in their prokaryotic counterparts. Thus many structural and functional aspects of plant phytochrome remain unresolved.

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Professor Jon Hughes for the critical reading of the manuscript. The author is supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Hu702/9).

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  1. Institute for Plant Physiology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Senckenbergstrasse 3, 35390, Giessen, Germany

    Soshichiro Nagano

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Nagano, S. From photon to signal in phytochromes: similarities and differences between prokaryotic and plant phytochromes. J Plant Res 129, 123–135 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-016-0789-0

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