Is Phytochrome A from the Holoparasitc Plant Orobanche minor Functional in Arabidopsis?

Abstract

Phytochromes are red and far-red light photoreceptors. The entire network of light signaling has not yet been clear, because of its complexity. We focused on phytochromes in the holoparasitic plant, Orobanche minor. This plant cannot photosynthesize, and acquires energy from their host plants. Therefore, it is thought that O. minor has a light signaling system containing altered parts that are related to photosynthesis control, but retaining the function necessary to regulate morphogenesis. Amino acid sequence of phytochrome A from O. minor (OmphyA) was compared to that of phytochrome A from photosynthetic plants. The result revealed that OmphyA has 26 amino acid substitutions. These substitutions are largely located in/around functional domains. Transcriptomie and metabolome analyses were conducted using OmphyA introduced phyA mutant of A. thaliana.