Biochemical and Molecular Studies of the Transduction of Blue Light Signals in Higher Plants

光除了作为光合作用的重要能量来源外，在植物发育调控中也起着极其重要的作用。虽然我们对光敏色素系统有很多了解，它对电磁波谱的红端波长有反应，但对光感受器或它们在蓝端的信号转导链知之甚少。研究者建议继续研究蓝光介导的质膜蛋白磷酸化，该蛋白被假设参与向光性和其他蓝光反应。他们计划纯化和表征该蛋白以及其他可能在光接受和早期信号转导中与之相互作用的蛋白。基因水平的系统研究将通过克隆和测序编码这些蛋白质的基因来启动。在细胞、生化和分子水平上阐明这个系统将是我们理解光如何调节植物发育的重要一步。

In addition to its important role as a source of energy for photosynthesis, light plays an extremely important role in the regulation of plant development. While much is known about the phytochrome system, responsive to wavelengths at the red end of the electromagnetic spectrum, little is known about photoreceptors or their signal transduction chains at the blue end. The investigator proposes to continue investigating a blue light mediated phosphorylation of a plasma membrane protein that is hypothesized to be involved in phototropism and perhaps other blue light responses. They plan to purify and characterize the protein and other proteins which may interact with it in photoreception and early signal transduction. Studies of the system at the gene level will be initiated by cloning and sequencing the genes encoding for these proteins. Elucidation of this system at the cell, biochemical and molecular levels should be a major step forward in our understanding of how light regulates plant development.