Abstract
Plants possess the capability of adapting their patterns of growth and development to changes in the light conditions of the environment. The action of light on plant growth and development (photomorphogenesis) is mediated by specific photoreceptors. Light-induced changes in the state of the photo-receptors provide the signal for the induction/modulation of plant responses to light. A major plant photomorphogenic photoreceptor is phy tochrome, a biliprotein pigment (Chapter 4.1) which is reversibly interconverted by light between an inactive form, Pr, and a physiologically active one, Pfr, with peaks of absorption in the red (R) and far-red (FR) regions of the spectrum, respectively.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
Further reading
Borthwick H.A. (1972) History of phytochrome — Biological significance of phytochrome. In: Phytochrome, pp. 3–44, Mitrakos K. and Shropshire W Jr. (eds.) Academic Press, London.
Hendricks S.B. and VanDerWoude W.J. (1983) How phytochrome acts: perspectives on the continuing quest. In: Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology, New Series, Vol 16A, Photomorphogenesis, pp. 3–23, Shropshire W Jr. and Mohr H. (eds.) Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Hillman W.S. (1967) The physiology of phytochrome. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 18: 301–324.
Mancinelli A.L. (1985) Light-dependent anthocyanin synthesis. Bot. Rev. 51: 107–157.
Toole E.H., Hendricks S.B., Borthwick H.A. and Toole V.K. (1956) Physiology of seed germination. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 7: 299–324.
References
Beggs C.J., Geile W., Holmes M.G., Jabben M, Jose A.M. and Schäfer E. (1981) High irradiance response promotion of a subsequent light induction response in Sinapis alba L. Planta 151:135–140.
Black M. and Shuttleworth J.E. (1974) The role of the cotyledons in the photocontrol of hypocotyl extension in Cucumis sativus L. Planta 117: 57–66.
Boisard J., Marmé D. and Schäfer E. (1971) The demonstration in vivo of more than one form of Pfr. Planta 99: 302–310.
Boisard J., Marmé D. and Briggs W.R. (1974) In vitro properties of membrane-bound phytochrome. Plant Physiol. 54: 272–276.
Borthwick H.A., Hendricks S.B., Parker M.W., Toole E.H. and Toole V.K (1952) A reversible photoreaction controlling seed germination. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 38:662–666.
Briggs W.R., Mösinger E. and Schäfer E. (1988) Phytochrome regulation of greening in barley: effects on chlorophyll accumulation. Plant Physiol. 86: 435–440.
Brockmann J., Rieble S., Kazarinova-Fukshansky N., Seyfried M. and Schäfer E. (1987) Phytochrome behaves as a dimer in vivo. Plant Cell Environ. 10:105–111.
Butler W.L., Lane H.C. and Siegelman H.W. (1963) Nonphotochemical transformations of phytochrome in vivo. Plant Physiol. 38: 514–519.
Butler W.L., Norris K.H., Siegelman H.W. and Hendricks S.B. (1959) Detection, assay, and preliminary purification of the pigment controlling photoresponsive development of plants. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 45:1703–1708.
Butler W.L., Hendricks S.B. and Siegelman H.W. (1964) Action spectra of phytochrome in vitro. Photochem. Photobiol. 3: 521–528.
Dooskin R.H. and Mancinelli A.L. (1968) Phytochrome decay and coleoptile elongation in Avena following various light treatments. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 95: 474–487.
Downs R.J. and Siegelman H.W. (1963) Photocontrol of anthocyanin synthesis in Milo seedlings. Plant Physiol. 38:25–30.
Fredericq H. (1964) Conditions determining effects of far-red and red irradiation on flowering response of Pharbitis nil. Plant Physiol. 39: 812–816.
Fukshansky L. and Schäfer E. (1983) Models in photomorphogenesis. In: Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology, New Series, Vol. 16A, Photomorphogenesis, pp. 69–95, Shropshire W.Jr. and Mohr H. (eds.) Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Gaba V. and Black M. (1987) Photoreceptor interaction in plant photomorphogenesis: the limits of experimental techniques and their interpretation. Photochem. Photobiol. 45:151–156.
Hartmann K.M. (1966) A general hypothesis to interpret ‘high energy phenomena’ of photomorphogenesis on the basis of phytochrome. Photochem. Photobiol. 5: 349–366.
Hendricks S.B., Toole E.H., Toole V.K. and Borthwick H.A. (1959) Photocontrol of plant development by the simultaneous excitations of two interconvertible pigments. III. Control of seed germination and axis elongation. Bot. Gaz. 121: 1–8.
Hillman W.S. (1964) Phytochrome levels detectable by in vivo spectrophotometry in plant parts grown or stored in the light. Amer. J. Bot. 51:1102–1107.
Hillman W.S. (1965) Phytochrome photoconversion by brief illumination and the subsequent elongation of etiolated Pisum stem segments. Physiol. Plant. 18: 346–358.
Hillman W.S. (1972) On the physiological significance of in vivo phytochrome assay. In: Phytochrome, pp. 573–584, Mitrakos K. and Shropshire W.Jr. (eds.) Academic Press, London.
Holmes M.G. (1984) Radiation measurements. In: Techniques in Photomorphogenesis, pp. 81–107, Smith H. and Holmes M.G. (eds.) Academic Press, London.
Hilton J.R. and Thomas B. (1987) Photoregulation of phytochrome synthesis in germinating embryos of Avena sativa L. J. Exp. Bot. 38:1704–1712.
Jabben M. (1980) The phytochrome system in light-grown Zea Mays L. Planta 149: 91–96.
Jabben M. and Deitzer G.F. (1978) A method for measuring phytochrome in plants grown in white light. Photochem Photobiol. 27: 799–802.
Jabben M., Heim B. and Schäfer E. (1980) The phytochrome system in light-and dark-grown dicotyledonous seedlings. In: Photoreceptors and Plant Development, pp. 145–158, DeGreef J. (ed.) Antwerp Univ. Press, Antwerp.
Jabben M., Beggs C. and Schäfer (1982) Dependence of Pfr/Ptot ratios on light quality and light quantity. Photochem. Photobiol. 35: 709–712.
Johnson C.B., Allsebrook S.M., Carr-Smith H. and Thomas B. (1991) A quantitative approach to the molecular biology of phytochrome action. In: Phytochrome Properties and Biological action, pp. 273–288, Thomas B. and Johnson C.B. (eds.) Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Kazarinova-Fukshansky N., Seyfried M. and Schäfer E. (1985) Distortion of action spectra in photomorphogenesis by light gradient within the plant tissue. Photochem. Photobiol. 41: 689–702.
Kelly J.M. and Lagarias J.C. (1985) Photochemistry of 124-kilodalton Avena phytochrome under constant illumination in vitro. Biochemistry 24: 6003–6010.
Kendrick R.E. and Frankland B. (1969) The in vivo properties of Amaranthus phytochrome. Planta 86: 21–32.
Kendrick R.E. and Spruit C.J.P. (1972) Phytochrome decay in seedlings under continuous incandescent illumination. Planta 107: 341–350.
Kendrick R.E. and Spruit C.J.P. (1974) Inverse dark reversion of phytochrome: an explanation. Planta 120: 265–272.
King R.V., Schäfer E., Thomas B. and Vince-Prue D. (1982) Photoperiodism and rhythmic responses to light. Plant Cell Environ. 5: 395–404.
Konomi K., Abe H. and Furuya M. (1987) Changes in content of phytochrome I and II apoprotein in embryonic axes of pea seeds during imbibition. Plant Cell Physiol. 28:1443–1451.
Lagarias J.C, Kelly J.M., Cyr K.L. and Smith W.O. (1987) Comparative photochemical analysis of highly purified 124-kilodalton oat and rye phytochromes in vitro. Photochem. Photobiol. 46: 5–13.
Mancinelli A.L. (1989) Interaction between cryptochrome and phytochrome in higher plant photomorphogenesis. Amer. J. Bot. 76:143–154.
Mancinelli A.L. and Rabino I. (1978) The high irradiance responses of plant photomorphogenesis. Bot. Rev. 44:129–180.
Mancinelli A.L., Rossi F. and Moroni A. (1992) Phytochrome photoconversion in vivo: effect of the initial Pfr/Ptot ratio. Photochem. Photobiol. 56: 593–598.
Pratt L.H. (1983) Assay of photomorphogenic photoreceptors. In: Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology, New Series, Vol. 16A, Photomorphogenesis, pp. 154–177, Shropshire W.Jr. and Mohr H. (eds.) Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Pratt L.H. and Butler W.L. (1970) Phytochrome conversion by ultraviolet light. Photochem. Photobiol. 11: 503–509.
Quail P.H., Schäfer E. and Marmé D. (1973) De novo synthesis of phytochrome in pumpkin hooks. Plant Physiol. 52: 124–127.
Sarkar H.K. and Song P.-S. (1982) Blue light induced phototransformation of phytochrome in the presence of flavin. Photochem. Photobiol. 35: 243–246.
Schäfer E. (1978) Variation in the rates of synthesis and degradation of phytochrome in cotyledons of Cucurbita pepo L. during seedling development. Photochem. Photobiol. 27: 775–780.
Schäfer E. and Mohr H. (1980) Changes in the rate of photoconversion of phytochrome during etiolation in mustard seedlings. Photochem. Photobiol. 31: 495–500.
Schäfer E., Marchai B. and Marmé D. (1971) On the phytochrome phototransformation kinetics in mustard seedlings. Planta 101: 265–276.
Schäfer E., Marchai B. and Marmé D. (1972) In vivo measurements of the phytochrome photostationary state in far red light. Photochem. Photobiol. 15: 457–464.
Seyfried M. and Schäfer E. (1985a) Phytochrome macro-distribution, local photoconversion and internal photon fluence rate for Cucurbita pepo L. cotyledons. Photochem. Photobiol. 42: 309–318.
Seyfried M. and Schäfer E. (1985b) Action spectra of phytochrome in vivo. Photochem. Photobiol. 42: 319–326.
Siegelman H.W. and Firer E.M. (1964) Purification of phytochrome from oat seedlings. Biochemistry 3: 418–423.
Siegelman H.W. and Hendricks S.B. (1957) Photocontrol of anthocyanin formation in turnip and red cabbage seedlings. Plant Physiol. 32: 393–398.
Spruit C.J.P. and Kendrick R.E. (1972) On the kinetics of phytochrome photoconversion in vivo. Planta 103: 319–326.
Spruit C.J.P. and Mancinelli A.L. (1969) Phytochrome in cucumber seeds. Planta 83: 303–310.
Stone H.J. and Pratt L.H. (1979) Characterization of the destruction of phytochrome in the red-absorbing form. Plant Physiol. 63: 680–682.
Thomas B. and Dickinson H.G. (1979) Evidence for two photoreceptors controlling growth in de-etiolated seedlings. Planta 146: 545–550.
Tokuhisa J.G. and Quail P.H. (1987) The levels of two distinct species of phytochrome are regulated differently during germination in Avena sativa L. Planta 172: 371–377.
VanDerWoude W.J. (1985) A dimeric mechanism for the action of phytochrome: evidence from photothermal interactions in lettuce seed germination. Photochem Photobiol. 42: 655–661.
VanDerWoude W.J. (1987) Application of the dimeric model of phytochrome action to high irradiance responses. In: Phytochrome and Photoregulation in Plants, pp.249–258, Furuya M. (ed.) Academic Press, Tokyo.
Vierstra R.D. and Quail P.H. (1983) Photochemistry of 124-kilodalton Avena phytochrome in vitro. Plant Physiol. 72: 264–267.
Vince-Prue D. (1975) Photoperiodism in Plants, McGraw-Hill, London.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1994 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Mancinelli, A.L. (1994). The physiology of phytochrome action. In: Kendrick, R.E., Kronenberg, G.H.M. (eds) Photomorphogenesis in Plants. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1884-2_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1884-2_10
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-0-7923-2551-2
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-1884-2
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive