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PHOTORECEPTOR INTERACTION IN PLANT PHOTOMORPHOGENESIS: THE LIMITS OF EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES AND THEIR INTERPRETATIONS
Author(s) -
Gaba Victor,
Black Michael
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
photochemistry and photobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.818
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1751-1097
pISSN - 0031-8655
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-1097.1987.tb08417.x
Subject(s) - photomorphogenesis , phytochrome , blue light , hypocotyl , biology , botany , physics , biophysics , red light , optics , arabidopsis , genetics , gene , mutant
— Problems concerning the interpretation of interactions of higher plant photomorphogenetic receptors are discussed. The theory that action of a blue light photoreceptor serves only to maintain responsiveness to phytochrome (Responsiveness Theory) is demonstrated to be unable to be properly tested with present techniques. This theory is also unable to explain experimental results any better than an alternative theory that a blue light photoreceptor may require the presence of the active form of phytochrome to express its activity (Presence Theory). This tatter theory is also incapable of being fully tested. There does not appear to be an adequate current theory to explain photoreceptor interactions. Other issues discussed include the use of displacement transducers in growth studies, the induction of phytochrome‐type responses by blue light, and the relative importance of the photoreceptors. New data are introduced on the effect of blue light in the end‐of‐day growth response to phytochrome of the light‐grown Cucumis sativus L. hypocotyl, and on the light equivalence principle in the same species.