高等植物开花时间的蓝光调控:隐花色素介导的光信号传导

Blue Light Regulating Flowering Time in Higher Plants:Cryptochromes Meated Signal Transduction

外界光环境的变化为研究植物开花时间的调控机制提供了重要线索。蓝光能够促进成花转变,植物主要通过隐花色素感受外界蓝光信号从而触发光反应。植物体隐花色素的主要功能是通过调控泛素化连接酶Constitutive photomorpho-genesis 1(COP1)和CRY-interacting b HLH1(CIB1)蛋白的活性来实现对光诱导基因的表达调控,从而控制植物的成花转变。本文通过追踪国内外关于隐花色素基因家族的研究进展发现,目前的研究人员已经从10余个物种中分离到了隐花色素的同源基因,并对其结构和功能进行了研究。隐花色素基因主要由N端的PHR结构域和C端的CCT结构域组成,通过调节光周期途径影响植物的开花时间。目前的研究结果表明,隐花色素主要通过3条信号传导途径实现对光周期途径的调控。这些关于隐花色素基因家族的研究成果为进一步研究这些基因的功能和互作关系,并通过转基因技术调节植物开花期提供了有价值的参考资料。

Alterations in the light provide important cues regarding the regulatory mechanism of flowering time.Blue light could promote floral transition by inducing cryptochromes to trigger light responses.Plant cryptochromes regulate the activity of E3 ubiquitin ligase Constitutive photomorpho-genesis 1（COP1） and CRY-interacting b HLH1（CIB1） to change the expression patternsof light-induced genes,leading to the floral transition.This paper traced the research on CRYs in recent years,and found that CRYs homologous had been cloned from over ten species,their structures and functions had been analyzed as well.The protein encoded by CRYs open reading frame contains two reserved domain,the first is a PHR region near the amino terminus,and the second is a region near the carboxy terminus termed by CCT domain.CRYs could regulate the flowering time through affecting photoperiod pathway,and the regulation of CRYs was implemented by three signal transduction pathways.The research in CRYs gene family provides meaningful information for further studies on the functions of CRYs and the interaction of CRYs and related proteins.It＇s also helpful for genetic engineering to regulate flowering time.