Cryptochromes are the key photoreceptors mediating Arabidopsis inflorescence stem movements under natural sunlight

SERRANO, AM; MALDONADO, B; ARANA, MV; VANDENBUSSCHE, F; VAN DER STRAETEN, D; VANHAELEWYN, L; BOCCALANDRO, HE; BALLARE, CL

Washington

Congreso; Plant Biology 2020; 2020

American Society of Plant Biologists

Inflorescence stem movements in response to natural sunlight are widely spread across Angiosperm species and are suggested to increase reproductive success. However, the underlying mechanisms that mediate this phototropic response to natural irradiation are unclear. We studied phototropic responses of Arabidopsis inflorescences in both laboratory and field conditions and report an action spectrum at wavelengths below 500 nm, and is mediated by several photoreceptor families. In controlled conditions, UVR8 is the key photoreceptor for narrowband UV-B radiation while phototropins and cryptochromes are crucial for phototropic responses to narrowband blue light. At low blue irradiances, phototropins are dominant while cryptochromes are essential during high blue irradiances but subjected to the negative control of phototropins. Importantly, cryptochromes are the principal photoreceptors mediating inflorescence stem bending under full sunlight.