The role of mutants in the search for the photoreceptor for phototropism in higher plants |
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Authors: | W R BRIGGS E LISCUM |
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Institution: | Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Stanford, CA 94305, USA;Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA |
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Abstract: | Early attempts to identify the chromophore of the photoreceptor for phototropism are reviewed. Carotenoids and flavins were the principal candidates, but studies with grass coleoptiles devoid of carotenoids suggest that at least in these organs carotenoids are most unlikely to play that role. The status of characterization of a gene for a putative photoreceptor protein is also reviewed. As the action spectrum for phototropism resembles the absorption spectrum of a flavoprotein, flavoproteins are attractive candidates at present, especially since the CRY1 photoreceptor in Arabidopsis thaliana that mediates blue light-dependent hypocotyl growth suppression has flavin adenine dinucleotide as one of its two chromophores. As the second chromophore appears to be pterin, pterins should not be ruled out as candidate chromophores for the photoreceptor for phototropism. |
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Keywords: | blue light carotenoid cryptochrome flavin nph mutants phototropism pterin |
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