Abstract
Shade avoidance is one of the most characteristic light responses in plants. Plants under the canopy of neighbors tend to display a markedly elongated morphology in height. These light responses are induced by far-red light through phytochromes (mainly phyB). Currently, we are studying the molecular mechanisms underlying light responses in the model legume L. japonicus. Recently, we found that L. japonicus shows a striking phenomenon of shade avoidance in the sense that the branching of axillary buds is severely inhibited. The resultant morphology of plant grown in the far-red rich light is quite different from that grown in the standard white light. Hence, L. japonicus is the model plant of choice to study the molecular linkage between ''shade avoidance'' and ''strigolactone-mediated branching control. Based on this rationale, here we report the following aspects of shade light on the intriguing phenomenon of L. japonicus. (i) Details of phenomena of shade avoidance. (ii) Characterization of the orthologue of Z. mays teosinte branched 1 (tb1). (iii) Comparative studies on the MAX pathway involved in the regulation of axillary bud outgrowth between A. thaliana and L. japonicus.
