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Cryptochrome blue-light photoreceptors of Arabidopsis implicated in phototropism

Author

Listed:
  • Margaret Ahmad

    (Plant Science Institute, University of Pennsylvania)

  • Jose A. Jarillo

    (Plant Science Institute, University of Pennsylvania)

  • Olga Smirnova

    (Plant Science Institute, University of Pennsylvania)

  • Anthony R. Cashmore

    (Plant Science Institute, University of Pennsylvania)

Abstract

Phototropism — bending towards the light — is one of the best known plant tropic responses1,2. Despite being reported by Darwin and others3,4 over a century ago to be specifically under the control of blue light, the photoreceptors mediating phototropism have remained unknown. We have characterized a blue-light photoreceptor from Arabidopsis, named CRY1 for cryptochrome 1 (ref. 5); this photoreceptor is a flavoprotein that mediates numerous blue-light-dependent responses6. In Arabidopsis, HY4 (the gene encoding CRY1) is a member of a small gene family that also encodes a related photoreceptor, CRY2 (refs 7, 8), which shares considerable functional overlap with CRY1 (ref. 9). Here we report that mutant plants lacking both the CRY1 and the CRY2 blue-light photoreceptors are deficient in the phototropic response. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing CRY1 or CRY2 show enhanced phototropic curvature. We conclude that cryptochrome is one of the photoreceptors mediating phototropism in plants.

Suggested Citation

  • Margaret Ahmad & Jose A. Jarillo & Olga Smirnova & Anthony R. Cashmore, 1998. "Cryptochrome blue-light photoreceptors of Arabidopsis implicated in phototropism," Nature, Nature, vol. 392(6677), pages 720-723, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:392:y:1998:i:6677:d:10.1038_33701
    DOI: 10.1038/33701
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