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Article Addendum
Light-Sensing in Roots
Candace Galen, Jessica J. Rabenold and Emmanuel Liscum
volume 2 | issue 2
march/april 2007Pages: 106 - 108
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Light gradients in the soil have largely been overlooked in understanding plant responses to the environment. However, roots contain photoreceptors that may receive ambient light through the soil or piped light through the vascular cylinder. In recent experiments we demonstrated linkages between phototropin-1 photoreceptor production, root growth efficiency, and drought tolerance, suggesting that root plasticity in response to light signals contributes to the ecological niche of A. thaliana. However, the availability of light cues in natural soil environments is poorly understood, raising questions about the relevance of light-mediated root growth for fitness in nature. Additionally, photoreceptor expression is characterized by pleiotropy so unique functions cannot be clearly ascribed to root vs. shoot sensory mechanisms. These considerations show that challenges exist for resolving the contribution of light-sensing by roots to plant adaptation. We suggest that blue-light sensing in roots of A. thaliana provides a model system for addressing these challenges. By calibrating blue light gradients in soils of diverse A. thaliana habitats and comparing fitness of phot1 mutant and wild-type controls when grown in presence or absence of soil light cues, it should be possible to elucidate the ecological significance of light-mediated plasticity in roots.
Authors
Candace Galen
University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO
Jessica J. Rabenold
University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO
Emmanuel Liscum
University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO
We now provide open access to journal articles published online for one year or more. This article may be downloaded at the following link:
Download PDF If the document does not open, please right-click on the link (control-click on a Macintosh) and select the option to save the file to disk.