Abstract
The lowly moss Physcomitrella patens is an excellent model organism for modern molecular physiology. The protonemal filaments are haploid, displaying the phenotype of a genetic lesion immediately after mutagenesis (selfing is possible but unnecessary). Filament cells are amenable to a wide range of cell biological methods including microinjection and, uniquely amongst plants, gene targeting via homologous recombination. Thus a Physcomitrella gene can be cloned, disrupted in situ and the mutant filament-together with its phenotype—regenerated within a couple of weeks. Protonemata are especially interesting photobiologically as they use phytochrome to steer their direction of growth in relation to light (phototropism). As we shall see, according to the fashionable view of phytochrome molecular action, this is simply not possible. We hope to resolve this self-contradictory situation using the power of the Physcomitrella system.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Hanelt S, Braun B, Marx S, Schneider-Poetsch HA (1992) Phytochrome evolution: a phylogenetic tree with the first complete sequence of phytochrome from a cryptogamic plant (Selaginella martensii Spring). Photochem Photobiol 56: 751–758
Hartmann E, Klingenberg B, Bauer L (1983) Phytochrome-mediated phototropism in protonemata of Ceratodon purpureus. Photochem Photobiol 38: 599–603
Haupt W, Häder DP (1994) Photomovement. In: Kendrick RE, Kronenberg GHM (eds) Photomorphogenesis in plants. Kluwer, Dordrecht, pp 707–732
Hughes J, Lamparter T, Mittmann F (1996) Cerpu;PHY0;2, a “normal” phytochrome in Ceratodon (accession no. U56698) (PGR 96-067). Plant Physiol 112: 446
Jones AM, Ecker JR, Chen JG (2003) A reevaluation of the role of the heterotrimeric G protein in coupling light responses in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiol 131: 1623–1627
Kadota A, Sato Y, Wada M (2000) Intracellular chloroplast photorelocation in the moss Physcomitrella patens is mediated by phytochrome as well as by a blue-light receptor. Planta 210: 932–937
Kolukisaoglu HÜ, Braun B, Martin WF, Schneider-Poetsch HA (1993) Mosses do express conventional, distantly B-type-related phytochromes. Phytochrome of Physcomitrella patens (Hedw.). FEBS Lett 334: 95–100
Lamparter T, Podlowski S, Mittmann F, Hartmann E, Schneider-Poetsch HA, Hughes J (1995) Phytochrome from protonemal tissue of the moss Ceratodon purpureus. J Plant Physiol 147: 426–434
Meske V, Hartmann E (1995) Reorganisation of microfilaments in protonemal tip cells of the moss Ceratodon purpureus during the phototropic response. Protoplasma 188: 59–69
Meske V, Rupert V, Hartmann E (1996) Structural basis for the red light induced repolarisation of tip growth in caulonemal cells of Ceratodon purpureus. Protoplasma 192: 189–198
Mittmann F, Brücker G, Zeidler M, Repp A, Abts T, Hartmann E, Hughes J (2004) Targeted knockout in Physcomitrella reveals direct actions of phytochrome in the cytoplasm. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 101: 13939–13944
Nozue K, Kanegae T, Imaizumi T, Fukuda S, Okamoto H, Yeh KC, Lagarias JC, Wada M (1998) A phytochrome from the fern Adiantum with features of the putative photoreceptor NPH1. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 95: 15826–15830
Quail PH (1983) Rapid action of phytochrome in photomorphogenesis. Encycl Plant Physiol 16A: 178–212
Schaefer DG, Zrÿd JP (1997) Efficient gene targeting in the moss Physcomitrella patens. Plant J 11: 1195–1206
Takagi S, Kong SG, Mineyuki Y, Furuya M (2004) Regulation of actin-dependent cytoplasmic motility by type II phytochrome occurs within seconds in Valissneria gigantea epidermal cells. Plant Cell 15: 331–345
Thümmler F, Dufner M, Kreisl P, Dittrich P (1992) Molecular cloning of a novel phytochrome gene of the moss Ceratodon purpureus which encodes a putative lightre-gulated protein kinase. Plant Mol Biol 20: 1003–1017
Zeidler M, Lamparter T, Hughes J, Hartmann E, Remberg A, Braslavsky S, Schaffner K, Gärtner W (1998) Recombinant phytochrome of the moss Ceratodon purpureus: heterologous expression and kinetic analysis of Pr→Pfr conversion. Photochem Photobiol 68: 857–863
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2005 Yamada Science Foundation and Springer-Verlag Tokyo
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Hughes, J., Brücker, G., Repp, A., Zeidler, M., Mittmann, F. (2005). Phytochromes and Functions: Studies Using Gene Targeting in Physcomitrella . In: Wada, M., Shimazaki, Ki., Iino, M. (eds) Light Sensing in Plants. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/4-431-27092-2_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/4-431-27092-2_11
Publisher Name: Springer, Tokyo
Print ISBN: 978-4-431-24002-0
Online ISBN: 978-4-431-27092-8
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)