p. 34112 Signals and Signal Transduction
- Lincoln Taiz, Lincoln TaizUniversity of California, Santa Cruz
- Eduardo Zeiger, Eduardo ZeigerUniversity of California, Los Angeles
- Ian Max MøllerIan Max MøllerAarhus University, Denmark
- , and Angus MurphyAngus MurphyUniversity of Maryland
Abstract
This chapter begins by providing a brief overview of the types of external cues that direct plant growth. In general, an environmental input that initiates one or more plant responses is referred to as a signal, and the physical component that biochemically responds to that signal is designated a receptor. Receptors are either proteins or, in the case of light receptors, pigments associated with proteins. Once receptors sense their specific signal, they must transduce the signal in order to amplify the signal and trigger the cellular response. The chapter then discusses how plants employ signal transduction pathways to regulate physiological responses. It examines how individual stimulus-response cascades are often integrated with other signaling pathways, termed cross-regulation, to shape plant responses to their environment in time and space. The chapter also considers phytohormone metabolism and homeostasis, as well as hormonal signaling pathways.
