Scientists Find UV-B Receptor in Plant Roots

Scientists at the San Francisco State University and Carnegie Institute of Washington in the U.S. discovered that plant roots can sense ultraviolet-B (UV-B) light and have identified a specific gene that is a vital player in UV-B signaling. The researchers found that the gene RUS1 measures UV-B light levels and passes this information on to other parts of the plant responsible for growth and development.

It’s quite unusual that roots should have UV-B light sensors. But these sensors are important for young plants whose roots are resting on the soil surface. RUS1 is responsible for ensuring that seedlings grow normally even if their roots are exposed to UV-B light. Plants with mutated RUS1 become hypersensitive to UV-B and even under low intensity levels of UV-B light, their root growth is stunted and they fail to grow leaves.

The article was published in the Early Edition of PNAS. Read more at http://www.sfsu.edu/news/ and http://www.pnas.org/content/early/recent