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Molecular Regulation of Plant Responses to Shade

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Progress in Botany Vol. 84

Part of the book series: Progress in Botany ((BOTANY,volume 84))

Abstract

In sun-loving plants, detection of the proximity of nearby competitors triggers a set of responses known as the shade-avoidance syndrome (SAS). These responses will help the plant to acclimate to the proximity of vegetation that might compromise light availability and limit plant development. Plants sense the presence of nearby competitor vegetation as changes in the light quality, i.e. a reduced red (R) to far-red light (FR) ratio (R:FR). Among the various responses to neighboring plants, one of the best studied and characterized is the promotion of the hypocotyl elongation in seedlings of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana that might help them to outcompete neighboring seedlings and reach better light conditions. In addition to this and other developmental changes, shade perception affects photosynthetic capacity and reduces plant defense. In this chapter, we will review the main molecular aspects that control the regulation of hypocotyl elongation, including the role of the phytochrome photoreceptors, that sense the signal, and the best known genetic and hormonal components that participate downstream shade perception. Because of the obvious interest for translating this knowledge to agriculture, we will also explore what is known about the molecular interaction between shade perception, defense responses, and the growth-defense trade-off observed in high planting density.

Communicated by Francisco M. Cánovas

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Acknowledgments

The authors are supported by grant PID2020-115782GB-I00 from Spanish MCIN/AEI (10.13039/501100011033), by the EU PRIMA project UToPIQ (MCIN/AEI code PCI2021-121941), the Generalitat Valenciana project ENIGmA (PROMETEU/2021/056), and the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC code 202040E256).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Serra Húnter Fellow, Department of Agri-Food Engineering and Biotechnology, Barcelona School of Agri-Food and Biosystems Engineering, Castelldefels, Spain

    Irma Roig-Villanova

  2. Institute for Plant Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMCP), CSIC-UPV, València, Spain

    Jaime F. Martinez-Garcia

Authors
  1. Irma Roig-Villanova
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  2. Jaime F. Martinez-Garcia
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Correspondence to Jaime F. Martinez-Garcia .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany

    Ulrich Lüttge

  2. Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain

    Francisco M. Cánovas

  3. Pollen Biotechnology of Crop Plants Group, Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas “Margarita Salas” (CIB) CSIC, Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    María-Carmen Risueño

  4. Plant Ecology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

    Christoph Leuschner

  5. Chair for Forest Growth and Yield Science, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Bayern, Germany

    Hans Pretzsch

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Roig-Villanova, I., Martinez-Garcia, J.F. (2022). Molecular Regulation of Plant Responses to Shade. In: Lüttge, U., Cánovas, F.M., Risueño, MC., Leuschner, C., Pretzsch, H. (eds) Progress in Botany Vol. 84. Progress in Botany, vol 84. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/124_2022_66

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