The hormonal regulation of de-etiolation

Abstract

De-etiolation involves a number of phenotypic changes as the plants shift from a dark-grown (etiolated) to a light-grown (de-etiolated) morphology. Whilst these light-induced, morphological changes are thought to be mediated by plant hormones, the precise mechanism/s are not yet fully understood. Here we provide further direct evidence that gibberellins (GAs) may play an important role in de-etiolation, because a similar light-induced reduction in bioactive GA levels was detected in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana L.), and pea (Pisum sativum L.). This is indicative of a highly conserved, negative-regulatory role for GAs in de-etiolation, in a range of taxonomically diverse species. In contrast, we found no direct evidence of a reduction in brassinosteroid (BR) levels during de-etiolation in any of these species.