Unknown effects of daily-scale solar activity on the plant growth: Data from 6-year growth monitoring of Sphagnum riparium

The influence of solar activity on plant growth has been studied for over 100 years, however, this phenomenon is still poorly understood on a daily scale. The data from extensive monitoring of the growth of peat moss Sphagnum riparium, which we are conducting in the mires of Karelia (Russia), may shed light on this issue. During the 6 years of observation, 161,190 shoots were measured, and 1075 growth rates were obtained. Considering together the growth rates with the sunspot number and involving data on seasonal temperature, we found previously unknown effects of daily-scale solar activity on plant growth. It was found that the sunspot number weakly but significantly inhibits the growth of Sphagnum. The extreme sunspot number in the 4 days before the growth rate values have a stronger influence. The involvement of temperature data showed that inhibition in growth is observed only in the temperature range from 6.7°C to 15.3°C and disappears beyond these limits. In addition, the data obtained showed that the influence of sunspot number on the growth of Sphagnum is progressively increasing along the gradient from the minimum to the maximum of the 11-year solar cycle. The study provides one of the first results on the effect of solar activity on plant growth on a daily scale. The results expand our knowledge of the biological effects of solar activity. Indirectly, they can also be useful to better our understanding of the ozone layer's involvement in this process.

Perception and Signaling of Ultraviolet-B Radiation in Plants

Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation is an intrinsic fraction of sunlight that plants perceive through the UVR8 photoreceptor. UVR8 is a homodimer in its ground state that monomerizes upon UV-B photon absorption via distinct tryptophan residues. Monomeric UVR8 competitively binds to the substrate binding site of COP1, thus inhibiting its E3 ubiquitin ligase activity against target proteins, which include transcriptional regulators such as HY5. The UVR8-COP1 interaction also leads to the destabilization of PIF bHLH factor family members. Additionally, UVR8 directly interacts with and inhibits the DNA binding of a different set of transcription factors. Each of these UVR8 signaling mechanisms initiates nuclear gene expression changes leading to UV-B-induced photomorphogenesis and acclimation. The two WD40-repeat proteins RUP1 and RUP2 provide negative feedback regulation and inactivate UVR8 by facilitating redimerization. Here, we review the molecular mechanisms of the UVR8 pathway from UV-B perception and signal transduction to gene expression changes and physiological UV-B responses.

Molecular Mechanisms of UVR8-Mediated Photomorphogenesis Derived from Revaluation of Action Spectra

Considering previously reported action spectra and molecular evidence, I propose a hypothetical model for UV RESISTANCE LOCUS8 (UVR8)-mediated photomorphogenesis. Upon UV-B irradiation, a UVR8 dimer dissociates and accumulates in the nucleus and photomorphogenesis begins following two pathways: one in which the UVR8 monomer binds to transcription factor(s) of gene(s) supporting hypocotyl growth to stop gene expression resulting in hypocotyl growth inhibition and the other in which the UVR8 monomer binds both with CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC1-SUPPRESSOR OF PHYA (COP1-SPA) to release HY5 (referred to as "stabilized") and WRKY DNA-BINDING PROTEIN 36 (WRKY36) on the ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5) gene to release HY5 transcription, and both HY5 and another UV-B-activated UV-B sensor (denoted the Hyp sensor in this article) through a self-interacting factor (HIF) associates with the HY5 promoter to initiate HY5 transcription, leading to anthocyanin synthesis. These two pathways can be distinguished by action spectra in the UV-B region, with a single peak at 280 nm and two peaks (or a broad peak near 280-300 nm) for the former and the latter, respectively. Expanding the concept to cyanobacteria and other algae, I discuss the evolution of a UV-B sensor in green plants.

Expression of Tomato UVR8 in Arabidopsis reveals conserved photoreceptor function

UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8 (UVR8) is a photoreceptor that regulates UV-B photomorphogenesis in plants. UV-B photon perception promotes UVR8 homodimer dissociation into monomer, which is reverted to homodimer post UV-B, forming a complete photocycle. UVR8 monomer interacts with CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENEIC 1 (COP1) to initiate UV-B signaling. The function and mechanism of Arabidopsis UVR8 (AtUVR8) are extensively investigated, however, little is known about UVR8 and its signaling mechanisms in other plant species. Tomato is a widely used model plant for horticulture research. In this report we tested whether an ortholog of AtUVR8 in Tomato (SIUVR8) can complement Arabidopsis uvr8 mutant and whether the above-mentioned key signaling mechanisms of UVR8 are conserved. Heterologous expressed SIUVR8 in an Arabidopsis uvr8 null mutant rescued the uvr8 mutant in the tested UV-B responses including hypocotyl elongation, UV-B target gene expression and anthocyanin accumulation, demonstrating that the SIUVR8 is a putative UV-B photoreceptor. Moreover, in response to UV-B, SIUVR8 forms a protein complex with Arabidopsis COP1 in plants, suggesting conserved signaling mechanism. SIUVR8 exhibits similar photocycle as AtUVR8 in plants, which highlights conserved photoreceptor activation and inactivation mechanisms.

Dynamics and mechanism of light harvesting in UV photoreceptor UVR8

Photosynthetic pigments form light-harvesting networks to enable nearly perfect quantum efficiency in photosynthesis via excitation energy transfer. However, similar light-harvesting mechanisms have not been reported in light sensing processes in other classes of photoreceptors during light-mediated signaling. Here, based on our earlier report, we mapped out a striking energy-transfer network composed of 26 structural tryptophan residues in the plant UV-B photoreceptor UVR8. The spectra of the tryptophan chromophores are tuned by the protein environments, funneling all excitation energy to a cluster of four tryptophan residues, a pyramid center, where the excitation-induced monomerization is initiated for cell signaling. With extensive site-directed mutagenesis, various time-resolved fluorescence techniques, and combined QM/MM simulations, we determined the energy-transfer rates for all donor–acceptor pairs, revealing the time scales from tens of picoseconds to nanoseconds. The overall light harvesting quantum efficiency by the pyramid center is significantly increased to 73%, compared to a direct excitation probability of 35%. UVR8 is the only photoreceptor discovered so far using a natural amino-acid tryptophan without utilizing extrinsic chromophores to form a network to carry out both light harvesting and light perception for biological functions.

The light-harvesting network from distal and peripheral to central tryptophans with transfer efficiencies determined from measured energy-transfer rates.

A leap in quantum efficiency through light harvesting in photoreceptor UVR8

Plants utilize a UV-B (280 to 315 nm) photoreceptor UVR8 (UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8) to sense environmental UV levels and regulate gene expression to avoid harmful UV effects. Uniquely, UVR8 uses intrinsic tryptophan for UV-B perception with a homodimer structure containing 26 structural tryptophan residues. However, besides 8 tryptophans at the dimer interface to form two critical pyramid perception centers, the other 18 tryptophans’ functional role is unknown. Here, using ultrafast fluorescence spectroscopy, computational methods and extensive mutations, we find that all 18 tryptophans form light-harvesting networks and funnel their excitation energy to the pyramid centers to enhance light-perception efficiency. We determine the timescales of all elementary tryptophan-to-tryptophan energy-transfer steps in picoseconds to nanoseconds, in excellent agreement with quantum computational calculations, and finally reveal a significant leap in light-perception quantum efficiency from 35% to 73%. This photoreceptor is the first system discovered so far, to be best of our knowledge, using natural amino-acid tryptophans to form networks for both light harvesting and light perception.

Photoreceptor UVR8 in plants senses environmental UV levels through 26 structural tryptophan residues, but the role of 18 of them was unknown. The authors show, by experiments and computations, how these form a light-harvesting network that funnels the excitation to the pyramid centers enhancing the light-perception efficiency.

Pivotal roles of Tomato photoreceptor SlUVR8 in seedling development and UV-B stress tolerance

UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8 (UVR8) is a UV-B photoreceptor that regulates various aspects of plant photomorphogenesis. Physiological functions of UVR8 have been extensively investigated in Arabidopsis. However, functions of Tomato UVR8 (SlUVR8) are largely unknown. To analyze physiological functions of SlUVR8, we generated sluvr8 knock-out mutant lines with CRISPR-CAS9 gene editing approach. At seedling stage, SlUVR8 regulates hypocotyl elongation and anthocyanin accumulation under UV-B. Moreover, SlUVR8 regulates acclimation to low dose UV-B and promotes tolerance to elevated UV-B stress. These results revealed pivotal roles of SlUVR8 in the regulation of Tomato seedling development and UV-B stress tolerance. The manipulation of photoreceptor SlUVR8 may represent a powerful tool to improve Tomato plant performance in nature where high dose UV-B is present.

Photomorphogenic responses to ultraviolet-B light

Exposure to ultraviolet B (UV-B) light regulates numerous aspects of plant metabolism, morphology and physiology through the differential expression of hundreds of genes. Photomorphogenic responses to UV-B are mediated by the photoreceptor UV RESISTANCE LOCUS8 (UVR8). Considerable progress has been made in understanding UVR8 action: the structural basis of photoreceptor function, how interaction with CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 initiates signaling and how REPRESSOR OF UV-B PHOTOMORPHOGENESIS proteins negatively regulate UVR8 action. In addition, recent research shows that UVR8 mediates several responses through interaction with other signaling pathways, in particular auxin signaling. Nevertheless, many aspects of UVR8 action remain poorly understood. Most research to date has been undertaken with Arabidopsis, and it is important to explore the functions and regulation of UVR8 in diverse plant species. Furthermore, it is essential to understand how UVR8, and UV-B signaling in general, regulates processes under natural growth conditions. Ultraviolet B regulates the expression of many genes through UVR8-independent pathways, but the activity and importance of these pathways in plants growing in sunlight are poorly understood.

Regulation of transcription by the Arabidopsis UVR8 photoreceptor involves a specific histone modification

The photoreceptor UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8 (UVR8) specifically mediates photomorphogenic responses to UV-B wavelengths. UVR8 acts by regulating transcription of a set of genes, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Previous research indicated that UVR8 can associate with chromatin, but the specificity and functional significance of this interaction are not clear. Here we show, by chromatin immunoprecipitation, that UV-B exposure of Arabidopsis increases acetylation of lysines K9 and/or K14 of histone H3 at UVR8-regulated gene loci in a UVR8-dependent manner. The transcription factors HY5 and/or HYH, which mediate UVR8-regulated transcription, are also required for this chromatin modification, at least for the ELIP1 gene. Furthermore, sequencing of the immunoprecipitated DNA revealed that all UV-B-induced enrichments in H3K9,14diacetylation across the genome are UVR8-dependent, and approximately 40 % of the enriched loci contain known UVR8-regulated genes. In addition, inhibition of histone acetylation by anacardic acid reduces the UV-B induced, UVR8 mediated expression of ELIP1 and CHS. No evidence was obtained in yeast 2-hybrid assays for a direct interaction between either UVR8 or HY5 and several proteins involved in light-regulated histone modification, nor for the involvement of these proteins in UVR8-mediated responses in plants, although functional redundancy between proteins could influence the results. In summary, this study shows that UVR8 regulates a specific chromatin modification associated with transcriptional regulation of a set of UVR8-target genes.

How Does Photoreceptor UVR8 Perceive a UV-B Signal?

UVR8 is the only known plant photoreceptor that mediates light responses to UV-B (280-315 nm) of the solar spectrum. UVR8 perceives a UV-B signal via light-induced dimer dissociation, which triggers a wide range of cellular responses involved in photomorphogenesis and photoprotection. Two recent crystal structures of Arabidopsis thaliana UVR8 (AtUVR8) have revealed unusual clustering of UV-B-absorbing Trp pigments at the dimer interface and provided a structural framework for further mechanistic investigation. This review summarizes recent advances in spectroscopic, computational and crystallographic studies on UVR8 that are directed toward full understanding of UV-B perception at the molecular level.