A plant protein fine-tunes how sunlight and heat control growth
Wang P, Du J, He J, Li Z, Walley JW
Plant Signaling
Every time a seedling in your garden decides whether to stretch tall for light or stay compact in the heat, it's running a molecular calculation like this one, and understanding it could help breeders design crops that handle heat waves without getting leggy and weak.
Plants have an internal light sensor called phytochrome B that tells them when to grow tall or stay short, and it's also sensitive to temperature. Researchers found that another protein, FERONIA, chemically tags two specific spots on this sensor, which makes it less stable and dials down its signal. This is like a plant having a built-in tuning knob that adjusts how strongly it reacts to red light and warm weather, helping it balance growth with stress survival.
Key Findings
FERONIA (FER) kinase phosphorylates Ser24 and Ser25 on the N-terminal extension of phytochrome B (phyB)
Mutant plants lacking functional FER (fer-4) show hypersensitivity to red light-inhibited hypocotyl growth and reduced sensitivity to warm-temperature-induced elongation
Phosphorylation at Ser24/Ser25 destabilizes the active Pfr form of phyB by speeding up thermal reversion, reducing photobody formation and signaling output
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists discovered that a plant protein called FERONIA acts like a dimmer switch on the plant's light and temperature sensor, phytochrome B, by attaching phosphate tags to two specific spots. This helps plants fine-tune how much they grow in response to red light and warm temperatures.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
FERONIA phosphorylates the amino-terminal extension of phytochrome B to modulate plant light and temperature responses.
FERONIA (FER) receptor kinase is a critical regulator in balancing plant growth and stress responses. As an active kinase, FER phosphorylates many proteins to regulate their stability, nuclear accu...
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