Light Regulation of Gene Expression in Higher Plants

Abstract

In this review areas of currently active research are considered which have demonstrated that a plant's response to light involves changes in the expression of specific genes at the level of RNA. The regulation of gene expression by phytochrome and the UV-sensitive photoreceptor have been studied most extensively at the molecular level, and this review particularly focuses on such studies in higher plants. Some of the observations made on the differences in gene expression between light-grown and dark-grown plants are also included, although the photoreceptor(s) responsible for the differences may not have been ascertained. In some of these cases, phytochrome involvement has been or may be demonstrated in later studies, while in others the observed differences may be a result of the action of other photoreceptors or of multiple light-affected processes. One such process is the development of chloroplasts, a major developmental step triggered by light in angiosperms. In addition, many of the genes whose expression is changed by light and which have been studied at a molecular level encode chloroplast proteins. 156 references.