SPA1: a new genetic locus involved in phytochrome A- specific signal transduction

• Published in: The Plant cell Vol. 10; no. 1; pp. 19 - 33
• Main Authors: Hoecker, U, Xu, Y, Quail, P.H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Society of Plant Physiologists 01.01.1998
• Subjects: AHILAMIENTO; ALLELES; ANTHOCYANE; ANTHOCYANINS; Anthocyanins - biosynthesis; ANTOCIANINAS; Arabidopsis - genetics; Arabidopsis - growth & development; Arabidopsis - radiation effects; Arabidopsis Proteins; ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA; BIOSINTESIS; BIOSYNTHESE; BIOSYNTHESIS; CARTE GENETIQUE; Chromosome Mapping; CHROMOSOME MAPS; CONTENIDO PROTEICO; Cotyledons; DARKNESS; DEETIOLATION; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; ETAPAS DE DESARROLLO DE LA PLANTA; ETIOLATION; ETIOLEMENT; EXTRAGENIC MUTATIONS; FAR RED LIGHT; FENOTIPOS; FISIOLOGIA VEGETAL; FITOCROMA; Fluence; FOTORECEPTORES; GENE; GENE RECESSIF; GENES; GENES RECESIVOS; Genes, Plant; Genes, Suppressor; GENETIC MAPPING; GENETIC MAPS; Genetic mutation; GREENING; Hypocotyls; LIGHT; LOCI; LOCUS; LUMIERE; LUZ; MAPAS GENETICOS; Models, Biological; MUTACION; MUTANT; MUTANTES; MUTANTS; MUTATION; OBSCURIDAD; OBSCURITE; PHENOTYPE; PHENOTYPES; PHOTORECEPTEUR; PHOTORECEPTORS; PHYSIOLOGIE VEGETALE; PHYTOCHROME; Phytochrome - metabolism; Phytochrome A; Plant cells; PLANT DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES; PLANT PHYSIOLOGY; Plants; PLANTULAS; PLANTULE; PROTEIN CONTENT; RECESSIVE GENES; SEEDLINGS; Segregation; Signal transduction; Signal Transduction - genetics; SPA1 LOCUS; STADE DE DEVELOPPEMENT VEGETAL; Suppression, Genetic; SUPPRESSOR MUTATIONS; TENEUR EN PROTEINES
• ISSN: 1040-4651; 1532-298X
• DOI: 10.1105/tpc.10.1.19

To identify mutants potentially defective in signaling intermediates specific to phytochrome A (phyA), we screened for extragenic mutations that suppress the morphological phenotype exhibited by a weak phyA mutant (phyA-105) of Arabidopsis. A new recessive mutant, designated spa1 (for suppressor of phyA-105), was isolated and mapped to the bottom of chromosome 2. spa1 phyA-105 double mutants exhibit restoration of several responses to limiting fluence rates of continuous far-red light that are absent in the parental phyA-105 mutant, such as deetiolation, anthocyanin accumulation, and a far-red light-induced inability of seedlings to green upon subsequent transfer to continuous white light. spa1 mutations do not cause a phenotype in darkness, indicating that the suppression phenotype is light dependent. Enhanced photoresponsiveness was observed in spa1 seedlings in a wild-type PHYA background as well as in the mutant phyA-105 background but not in a mutant phyA null background. These results indicate that phyA is necessary in a non-allele-specific fashion for the expression of the spa1 mutant phenotype and that phyB to phyE are not sufficient for this effect. Taken together, the data suggest that spa1 mutations specifically amplify phyA signaling and therefore that the SPA1 locus encodes a component that acts negatively early in the phyA-specific signaling pathway