Chinese Bulletin of Botany ›› 2015, Vol. 50 ›› Issue (1): 122-132.DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1259.2015.00122

• SPECIAL TOPICS • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Specificity and Crosstalk of Phototropin with Cryptochrome and Phytochrome in Regulating Hypocotyl Phototropism

Xiang Zhao, Qingping Zhao, Xu Yang, Shichao Mu, Xiao Zhang*   

  1. State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology, College of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
  • Received:2013-12-16 Accepted:2014-07-07 Online:2015-01-01 Published:2015-04-09
  • Contact: Zhang Xiao
  • About author:

    ? These authors contributed equally to this paper

Abstract: Blue light (BL) is a key factor controlling plant growth and morphogenesis. BL receptors phototropin1 (PHOT1) and phototropin2 (PHOT2) mediate BL-induced plant movements such as phototropism, chloroplast relocation and stomatal opening responses. Phototropism allows plants to bend toward light by perceiving the direction, wavelength and intensity of incident light so that they can obtain optimum light. Phytochrome and cryptochrome are also involved in asymmetric regulation of hypocotyl growth, causing plant phototropic growth. In this review, we discuss the signaling for phototropins and focus on the crosstalk with phytochrome and cryptochrome signaling in regulating phototropism. Fundamental progress in understanding the role of phototropins and phytochrome or cryptochrome in phototropism will continue to provide a rational basis for biotechnological improvements in developing light-trapping plants with improved light-use efficiency.