STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE PHOTOSENSOR PHYTOCHROME

植物拥有高度敏感的光敏色素。 红色 光传感器分子的 Pr 形式感知波长的光， 它通过光化学转化为 Pfr 形式。 那么后者 触发植物中两种类型的细胞信号转导，一种 涉及一些不转录的基因的表达 黑暗和另一个涉及细胞器运动和 形态/昼夜节律，例如开花等。Pfr 形式 可以通过远红波长光恢复到Pr形式。 植物色素介导的光信号反应的分子机制 在植物中的作用至今尚未完全阐明。 长期目标 因此，拟议研究的目的是了解 光敏色素在结构机械水平上的作用。 我们的具体 拟议研究的目的是阐明结构功能 植物和模型中光致变色光传感器的关系 系统，如原生质体。 由于基因的调控作用和 由光敏色素介导的光感觉转导过程可能 揭示与荷尔蒙基因的有用对比和/或相似性 动物的调节和感觉转导（例如视觉） 拟议的研究与增强我们的理解具有生物医学相关性 调节生物学和感觉生理学的基本原理。

Plants possess a highly sensitive photosensor phytochrome. Red wavelength light is perceived by the Pr form of photosensor molecule, which is photochemically converted to the Pfr form. The latter then triggers two types of cellular signal transduction in plants, one involving expression of several genes that are nt transcribed in the dark and another involving organelle movement and morphological/circadian rhythms such as flowering, etc. The Pfr form can be reverted to the Pr form by far-red wavelength light. The molecular mechanism of the phytocrome-mediated photosignal responses in plants still has not been fully elucidated. The long term objective of the proposed study is, therefore, is to understand the mechanisms of phytochrome action at the structural-mechanistic level. Our specific aim of the proposed research is to elucidate the structure-function relationship of the photochromic light sensor in plants and in model systems such as protoplasts. Since the gene regulatory role and the photosensory transduction process mediated by phytochrome are likely to reveal a useful contrast and/or similarity to the hormonal gene regulation and sensory transduction (e.g.m vision) in animals, the proposed study is biomedically relevant in enhancing our understanding of the basic principles of regulatory biology and sensory physiology.