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Signal perception, differential expression within multigene families and the molecular basis of phenotypic plasticity
Author(s) -
SMITH H.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
plant, cell and environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.646
H-Index - 200
eISSN - 1365-3040
pISSN - 0140-7791
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3040.1990.tb01077.x
Subject(s) - biology , phenotypic plasticity , phenotype , evolutionary biology , plasticity , perception , adaptability , adaptation (eye) , expression (computer science) , genetics , neuroscience , gene , ecology , computer science , physics , programming language , thermodynamics
. This Introduction to the Special Issue of Plant, Cell and Environment on ‘Sensing the Environment’is concerned with the molecular mechanisms that may link the perception of environmental signals with the evocation of those specific developmental responses that collectively are known as phenotypic plasticity. The significance of phenotypic plasticity at the evolutionary, developmental and ecological levels is outlined, and it is argued that the extent of an individual's adaptability to environmental conditions must be a reflection of the extent and sophistication of the controls over the synthesis and action of specific proteins. Reviewing evidence from a selected range of plant enzymes and regulatory proteins, it is proposed that differential regulation of the expression of members of multigene families may represent the molecular basis of phenotypic plasticity.