Abstract
This chapter is dedicated to the significance of visible light and ultraviolet (UV)-B radiation for plant life. The dual role of radiation in the visible range as an energy source for photosynthesis, and as a signal for the control of a plant’s development, is the focus of the first part of the chapter. Acclimation to the ever-changing light environment is explained, addressing ultrastructural, physiological and molecular aspects. We discuss light stress caused by overexcitation, the emergence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the functioning of ROS-scavenging systems, as well as other protective mechanisms such as non-photochemical quenching. Several photoreceptors (phytochromes, cryptochromes, phototropins), each class specific for a particular range of the visible spectrum and connected to overlapping signal transduction cascades, cooperate in the regulation of growth and other developmental processes of a plant. The second major topic of this chapter is UV-B radiation. Following a discussion of damage caused by UV-B, repair mechanisms and the avoidance of UV-B stress by chemical screening are described. Both UV-B stress responses and developmental processes are triggered by UV-B receptors, whose biochemistry and association with signalling chains are discussed. Finally, the crosstalk between UV-B and visible light responses, which is based on the multifunctionality of regulator proteins, is presented.
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Schulze, ED., Beck, E., Buchmann, N., Clemens, S., Müller-Hohenstein, K., Scherer-Lorenzen, M. (2019). Light. In: Plant Ecology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-56233-8_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-56233-8_3
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