Phototropism: Growing towards an Understanding of Plant Movement

Phototropism, or the differential cell elongation exhibited by a plant organ in response to directional blue light, provides the plant with a means to optimize photosynthetic light capture in the aerial portion and water and nutrient acquisition in the roots. Tremendous advances have been made in our understanding of the molecular, biochemical, and cellular bases of phototropism in recent years. Six photoreceptors and their associated signaling pathways have been linked to phototropic responses under various conditions. Primary detection of directional light occurs at the plasma membrane, whereas secondary modulatory photoreception occurs in the cytoplasm and nucleus. Intracellular responses to light cues are processed to regulate cell-to-cell movement of auxin to allow establishment of a trans-organ gradient of the hormone. Photosignaling also impinges on the transcriptional regulation response established as a result of changes in local auxin concentrations. Three additional phytohormone signaling pathways have also been shown to influence phototropic responsiveness, and these pathways are influenced by the photoreceptor signaling as well. Here, we will discuss this complex dance of intra- and intercellular responses that are regulated by these many systems to give rise to a rapid and robust adaptation response observed as organ bending.