Crops and Soils - Light control of protein translation and plant biomass

Plants are inherently plastic organisms. Their general body plan is genetically encoded, but plant architecture can be modified to adjust to the environment that surrounds it. In this sense, external cues, such as light, have a profound effect on the way a plant grows and develops, ultimately affecting a plant's fitness, disease resistance and productivity. Growth plasticity is particularly pronounced in leaves that are exposed to vegetation shade. Proximity of nearby plants is detected by the phyB photoreceptor, which then adjusts leaf growth and physiology to ensure survival in the face of competition.

This project builds on recent discoveries in the Halliday lab, that significantly expand our understanding of how phyB operates in the leaf. phyB is currently thought to promote leaf elongation by manipulating plant hormone pathways. Our unpublished data point to a novel role for phyB in regulating the leaf cell division machinery, ribosome biogenesis and translation, key contributors to plant biomass. Collectively, these findings provide a new conceptual framework to understand and interrogate phyB function.