Abstract
Blue light induces leaf (or leaflet) movement in leguminous plants. Physiological and biochemical studies have demonstrated that the movement is carried out through the volume changes of pulvinar motor cells. However, the molecular mechanism of blue-light induced leaf movement has remained unknown. To know the above-mentioned mechanism, we have screened mutants from model legume plant Lotus japonicus and obtained a slow leaf-movement to blue light irradiation mutant laziness. Nictinasty of the laziness mutant was similar to that of the wild type, and the other blue light responses, hypocotyl phototropism, chloroplast relocation and inhibition of hypocotyl elongation, were also normal. To identify the LAZINESS locus, we are performing rough mapping. In addition, we isolated Lotus CRYs and PHOTs, and generated transgenic plants expressing anti-sense gene to analysis the function of blue light receptors in Lotus. Blue light responses of the transformants will be reported.
