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The bHLH network underlying plant shade‐avoidance
Author(s) -
Buti Sara,
Hayes Scott,
Pierik Ronald
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
physiologia plantarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.351
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1399-3054
pISSN - 0031-9317
DOI - 10.1111/ppl.13074
Subject(s) - biology , shade avoidance , transcription factor , plant growth , function (biology) , shade tolerance , transcription (linguistics) , neuroscience , computational biology , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , arabidopsis , ecology , botany , gene , linguistics , philosophy , canopy , mutant
Shade is a potential threat to many plant species. When shade‐intolerant plants detect neighbours, they elongate their stems and leaves in an effort to maximise their light capture. This developmental programme, known as ‘shade‐avoidance’ is tightly controlled by specialised photoreceptors and a suite of transcriptional regulators. The basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) family of transcription factors are particularly important for shade‐induced elongation. In recent years, it has become apparent that many members of this family heterodimerise and that together they form a complex regulatory network. This review summarises recent work into the structure of the bHLH network and how it regulates elongation growth. In addition to this, we highlight how photoreceptors modulate the function of the network via direct interaction with transcription factors. It is hoped that the information integrated in this review will provide a useful theoretical framework for future studies on the molecular basis of shade‐avoidance in plants.