Phototropism

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Auxin distribution controls phototropism. 1. This is a normal plant that has the sun positioned almost directly over the plant. During this time, the auxin (pink dots) that lies within the plant is evenly distributed. 2. The sun is now positioned at an angle to the plant. The repositioning of the sun causes the auxin to move the other side of the plant, and becomes more concentrated. This overload of auxin next to these cells causes them to start to grow or elongate. 3. This results in the plant to look like it is growing toward the sun. 4. If the sun moves to the other side of the plant, the auxin would again move to the other side of the plant and become concentrated on the side of the plant that is farthest away from the sun. 5. The same growth or elongation of the cells on this side of plant would continue to grow towards the sun.
The Thale Cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) is regulated by blue to UV light
Phycomyces, a fungus, also exhibit phototropism
Example on a Phalaenopsis
Example on Azuki beans

Phototropism is the growth of organisms in response to light. It is most often observed in plants, but can also occur in other organisms such as fungi. The growth or movement of a plant part in response to a source of light. The cells on the plant that are farthest from the light have a chemical called auxin that reacts when phototropism occurs. This causes the plant to have elongated cells on the farthest side from the light. Phototropism is one of the many plant tropisms or movements which respond to external stimuli. Growth towards a light source is called positive phototropism, while growth away from light is called negative phototropism. Most plant shoots exhibit positive phototropism, and rearrange their chloroplasts in the leaves to maximize photosynthetic energy and promote growth.[1][2] Roots usually exhibit negative phototropism, although gravitropism may play a larger role in root behavior and growth. Some vine shoot tips exhibit negative phototropism, which allows them to grow towards dark, solid objects and climb them. The combination of phototropism and gravitropism allow plants to grow in the correct direction.[3]

Mechanism

There are several signaling molecules that help the plant determine where the light source is, and this activates several genes, which change the hormone gradients allowing the plant to grow towards the light. The very tip of the plant known as the coleoptile is necessary in light sensing.[4] The middle portion of the coleoptile is the area where the shoot curvature occurs. The Cholodny-Went hypothesis, developed in the early 20th century, predicts that in the presence of asymmetric light, auxin will move towards the shaded side and promote elongation of the cells on that side to cause the plant to curve towards the light source.[5] Auxins activate proton pumps, decreasing the pH in the cells on the dark side of the plant. This acidification of the cell wall region activates enzymes known as expansins which break bonds in the cell wall structure, making the cell walls less rigid. In addition, the acidic environment causes disruption of hydrogen bonds in the cellulose that makes up the cell wall. The decrease in cell wall strength causes cells to swell, exerting the mechanical pressure that drives phototropic movement.

A second group of genes, PIN genes, have been found to play a major role in phototropism. They are auxin transporters, so it is thought that they are responsible for the polarization of auxin. Specifically PIN3 has been identified as the primary auxin carrier.[6] It is possible that phototropins receive light and inhibit the activity of PINOID kinase (PID), which then promotes the activity of PIN3. This activation of PIN3 leads to asymmetric distribution of auxin, which then leads to asymmetric elongation of cells in the stem. pin3 mutants had shorter hypocotyls and roots than the wild-type, and the same phenotype was seen in plants grown with auxin efflux inhibitors.[7] Using anti-PIN3 immunogold labeling, movement of the PIN3 protein was observed. PIN3 is normally localized to the surface of hypocotyl and stem, but is also internalized in the presence of Brefeldin A (BFA), an exocytosis inhibitor. This mechanism allows PIN3 to be repositioned in response to an environmental stimulus. PIN3 and PIN7 proteins were thought to play a role in pulse-induced phototropism. The curvature responses in the "pin3" mutant were reduced significantly, but only slightly reduced in "pin7" mutants. There is some redundancy among "PIN1", "PIN3", and "PIN7", but it is thought that PIN3 plays a greater role in pulse-induced phototropism.[8]

There are phototropins that are highly expressed in the upper region of coleoptiles. The two main phototropins are phot1 and phot2. phot2 single mutants have phototropic responses like that of the wild-type, but phot1 phot2 double mutants do not show any phototropic responses.[9] The amounts of PHOT1 and PHOT2 present are different depending on the age of the plant and the intensity of the light. There is a high amount of PHOT2 present in mature Arabidopsis leaves and this was also seen in rice orthologs. The expression of PHOT1 and PHOT2 changes depending on the presence of blue or red light. There was a downregulation of PHOT1 mRNA in the presence of light, but upregulation of PHOT2 transcript. The levels of mRNA and protein present in the plant were dependent upon the age of the plant. This suggests that the phototropin expression levels change with the maturation of the leaves.[10] Mature leaves contain chloroplasts that are essential in photosynthesis. Chloroplast rearrangement occurs in different light environments to maximize photosynthesis. There are several genes involved in plant phototropism including the NPH1 and NPL1 gene. They are both involved in chloroplast rearrangement.[11] The nph1 and npl1 double mutants were found to have reduced phototropic responses. In fact, the two genes are both redundant in determining the curvature of the stem.

Effects of wavelength

Phototropism in plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana is directed by blue light receptors called phototropins.[12] Other photosensitive receptors in plants include phytochromes that sense red light[13] and cryptochromes that sense blue light.[14] Different organs of the plant may exhibit different phototropic reactions to different wavelengths of light. Stem tips exhibit positive phototropic reactions to blue light, while root tips exhibit negative phototropic reactions to blue light. Both root tips and most stem tips exhibit positive phototropism to red light. Cryptochromes are photoreceptors that absorb blue/ UV-A light, and they help control the circadian rhythm in plants and timing of flowering. Phytochromes are photoreceptors that sense red/far-red light, but they also absorb blue light. The combination of responses from phytochromes and cryptochromes allow the plant to respond to various kinds of light.[15] Together phytochromes and cryptochromes inhibit gravitropism in hypocotyls and contribute to phototropism.[16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Goyal, A., Szarzynska, B., Fankhauser C. (2012). Phototropism: at the crossroads of light-signaling pathways. Cell 1-9.
  2. ↑ Sakai, T., Kagawa, T., Kasahara, M., Swartz, T.E., Christie, J.M., Briggs, W.R., Wada, M., Okada, K. (2001). Arabidopsis nph1 and npl1: Blue light receptors that mediate both phototropism and chloroplast relocation. PNAS 98(12), 6969-6974.
  3. ↑ Liscum, E. (2002). Phototropism: Mechanisms and Outcomes. Arabidopsis Book 1-21.
  4. ↑ Goyal, A., Szarzynska, B., Fankhauser C. (2012). Phototropism: at the crossroads of light-signaling pathways. Cell 1-9.
  5. ↑ Christie, J.M., and Murphy, A.S. (2013). Shoot phototropism in higher plants: New light through old concepts. American Journal of Botany 100(1), 35-46.
  6. ↑ Ding, Z., Galván-Ampudia, C.S., Demarsy, E., Langowski, L., Kleine-Vehn, J., Fan, Y., Morita, M.T., Tasaka M., Fankhauser, C., Offringa, R., Friml, J. (2011). Light-mediated polarization of the PIN3 auxin transporter for the phototropic response in Arabidopsis Nature Cell Biology 13(4), 447-453.
  7. ↑ Friml, J., Wisniewska, J., Benkova, E., Mendgen, K., Palme, K. (2002). Lateral relocation of auxin efflux regulator PIN3 mediates tropism in Arabidopsis. Nature 415, 806-809.
  8. ↑ Haga, K., and Sakai, T. (2012). PIN Auxin Efflux Carriers Are Necessary for Pulse-Induced But Not Continuous Light-Induced Phototropism in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiology 160, 763-776.
  9. ↑ Liscum, E. (2002). Phototropism: Mechanisms and Outcomes. Arabidopsis Book 1-21.
  10. ↑ Labuz, J., Sztatelman, O., Banas, A. K., Gabrys H. (2012). The expression of phototropins in Arabidopsis leaves: developmental and light regulation. Journal of Experimental Botany 63(4), 1763-1771.
  11. ↑ Sakai, T., Kagawa, T., Kasahara, M., Swartz, T.E., Christie, J.M., Briggs, W.R., Wada, M., Okada, K. (2001). Arabidopsis nph1 and npl1: Blue light receptors that mediate both phototropism and chloroplast relocation. PNAS 98(12), 6969-6974.
  12. ↑ American Society of Plant Biologists
  13. ↑ http://plantphys.info/plant_physiology/phytochrome.shtml
  14. ↑ http://www.plantcell.org/cgi/content/full/15/5/1051
  15. ↑ McCoshum, S., Kiss, J.Z. (2011). Green light affects blue-light based phototropism in hypocotyls of Arabidopsis thaliana. Torrey Botanical Society 138(4), 409-417.
  16. ↑ Goyal, A., Szarzynska, B., Fankhauser C. (2012). Phototropism: at the crossroads of light-signaling pathways. Cell 1-9.

External links

Plant movements
Means
Tropisms (directional)
Nastic movements (non-directional)
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