• Plant Resources
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.77-86
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• 2004

The reduced ratio of red:far-red (R:FR) light acts as a measure of the proximity of competitors and plants can detect the potentially competing neighbor plants by perceiving reflected R:FR signals and initiate the response of “shade avoidance” before actual shading occurs. The phytochrome system is responsible for monitoring the changes in the R:FR and initiating the shade avoidance response. The response to low R:FR ratio was studied in a white aspen Populus alba clone ‘Bolleana’ using two filter systems: a clear plastic filter system that allows a R:FR ratio less than 1.0 to pass from adjacent border plant reflection; and a special commercial plastic that blocks FR light and creates a R:FR ratio above 3.0. The reduced R:FR signals enhanced the stem elongation in response to competition at the expense of relative stem diameter growth. Trees grown inside clear chambers were 27 ％ taller than trees grown inside the FR-blocking filter chambers. Stem taper of clear chamber trees was 16％ less than the FR-blocking filter trees. Low R:FR also induced 22％ more stem dry weight and 13％ greater petiole length per leaf compared to the FR-blocking filter trees. There were no statistically significant differences in leaf area, leaf number increment, and total dry weight between the two light filter treatments.

• Interdisciplinary Bio Central
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1.1-1.5
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• 2009

Many organisms control their physiology and behavior in response to the local light environment, which is first perceived by photoreceptors that undergo light-dependent conformational changes. Phytochromes are one of the major photoreceptors in plants, controlling wide aspects of plant physiology by recognizing the light in red (R) and far-red (FR) spectra. Higher plants have two types of phytochromes; the photo-labile type I (phyA in Arabidopsis) and photo-stable type II (phyB-E in Arabidopsis). Phytochrome B (phyB), a member of the type II phytochromes in Arabidopsis, shows classical R and FR reversibility between the inter-convertible photoisomers, Pr and Pfr. Interestingly, the Pr and Pfr isomers show partitioning in the cytosol and nucleus, respectively. In the over 50 years since its discovery, it has been thought that the type II phytochromes only function to mediate R light. As described in the text, we have now discovered phyB has an active function in FR light. Even striking is that the R and FR light exert an opposite effect. Thus, FR light is not simply nullifying the R effect but has an opposing effect to R light. What is more interesting is that the phyB-mediated actions of FR and R light occur at different cellular compartment of the plant cell, cytosol and nucleus, respectively, which was proven through utilization of the cytosolic and nuclear-localized mutant versions of phyB. Our observations thus shoot down a major dogma in plant physiology and will be considered highly provocative in phytochrome function. We argue that it would make much more sense that plants utilize the two isoforms rather than only one form, to effectively monitor the changing environmental light information and to incorporate the information into their developmental programs.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2018

Light is essential to the growth and development of plants, and it is perceived by phytochromes, which are one of the photoreceptors that regulate physiological responses in plants. Ethylene regulates the dormancy, senescence, growth, and development of organs in plants. This research focused on the interaction of phytochromes and ethylene to control hypocotyl growth and gravitropism using phytochrome mutants of Arabidopsis, phyA, phyB, and phyAB, under three light conditions: red (R) light, farred (FR) light, and white light. The mutant phyAB exhibited the most stimulation of gravitropic response of all three phytochrome mutants and wild type (WT) in all three light conditions. Moreover, phyB in the R light condition showed more negative gravitropism than phyA. However, phyB in the FR light condition showed less curvature than phyA. The hypocotyl growth pattern was similar to the gravitropic response in several light conditions. To explain the mechanism of the regulation of gravitropic response and growth, we measured the ethylene production and activities of in vitro ACS and ACO. Ethylene production was reduced in all the mutants grown in white light in comparison to the WT. Ethylene production increased in the phyA grown in R light and phyB grown in FR light in comparison to the other mutants. The ACS activity coincided with the ethylene production in the phyA and the phyB grown in R light and FR light, respectively. These results suggest that the Pfr form of phyB in R light and the Pr form of phyA in FR light increased ethylene production via increasing ACS activity.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.312-318
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• 2020

BACKGROUND: Photoreversibility, a reversion of the inductive effect of a brief red light pulse by a subsequent far red light pulse, is a property of photo responses regulated by the plant photoreceptor phytochrome B. Plants use photoreceptors to sense photo signal and to adapt and modify their morphological and physiological properties. Phytochrome recognizes red light and far red light and plays an important role in regulating plant growth and development. METHODS AND RESULTS: The reversal responses of growth and fruiting characteristics were investigated to increase the yield of oriental melon (Cucumis Melo L. var. Kumsargakieuncheon) by means of controlling light quality in a plastic house. Red (R:660nm) and far red (FR:730nm) lights were subsequently irradiated on the whole stems and leaves of the oriental melon plant during growing periods, using red and far red LEDs as light sources, from 9:00 PM daily for 15 minutes. The intensities of R and FR light were 0.322-0.430 μmol m-2s-1 and 0.250-0.366 μmol m-2s-1, respectively. Compared to R light irradiation, combination of R and FR light irradiation increased the length of internode, number of axillary stems, number of female flowers, and fruit number of oriental melons. The results of treatment with R were similar to R-FR-R light irradiation in terms of length of internode, number of axillary stems, number of female flowers, and number of fruits. When FR treatment was considered, R-FR and R-FR-R-FR light irradiation had similarities in responses. These reversal responses revealed that oriental melon showed a photoreversibility of growth characteristics, flowering, and fruiting. CONCLUSION: These results suggested the possibility of phytochrome regulation of female flower formation and fruiting in oriental melon. The fruit weight of the oriental melon was the heaviest with the R light irradiation, while the number of fruits was the highest with the FR light. With the FR light irradiation, the fruit weight was not significantly higher compared to that of the control. Meanwhile, the yield of oriental melon fruits increased by 28-36% according to the intensities of the FR light due to the increases of the number of fruits.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Potoscience Conference
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• spring
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• pp.37-37
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• 1997

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Potoscience Conference
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• spring
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• pp.107-107
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• 1999

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Potoscience Conference
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• spring
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• pp.51-57
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• 2003

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.10-25
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• 1977

The photobiological receptors of phototactic, phototropic, and photomorphogenic responses of various organisms have been described in terms of spectroscopic, photophysical and photochemical properties which may be relevant in elucidating the energy transduct ion mechanism(s) in photobiology. The photoreceptors discussed include carotenoids, flavins, stentorin and phytochrome. Although the molecular modes of their photobiological action still remain largely unexplained, it is possible to suggest several primary molecul ar processes of the photoreceptors in eliciting responses of various organisms to light.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1997.10b
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• pp.270.2-270
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• 1997

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Proceedings of the Botanical Society of Korea Conference
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• 1996.06a
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• pp.64-67
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• 1996