PIFs: Systems Integrators in Plant Development

Leivar, Pablo; Monte, Elena

doi:10.1105/tpc.113.120857

Cited by 505 publications

(548 citation statements)

References 169 publications

(362 reference statements)

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“…As members of the bHLH family of transcription factors, PIFs have been shown to repress both molecular and morphological phenotypes in phytochrome signalling pathways 1 . However, the mechanisms by which phytochromes remove these repressors are beginning to be unravelled.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These include 11 loci in Arabidopsis encoding CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMOR-PHOGENIC/DEETIOLATED/FUSCA (COP/DET/FUS) genes and seven basic helix-loop-helix loci encoding phytochrome interacting factors (PIF1, PIF3-8; refs 1-3). These repressors fine tune seed germination and seedling development during the dark to light transition when young seedlings are especially vulnerable to toxicity of light exposure [1][2][3] .…”

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confidence: 99%

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CUL4 forms an E3 ligase with COP1 and SPA to promote light-induced degradation of PIF1

et al. 2015

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Plants undergo contrasting developmental programs in dark and light. Photomorphogenesis, a light-adapted programme is repressed in the dark by the synergistic actions of CUL4 COP1-SPA E3 ubiquitin ligase and a subset of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors called phytochrome interacting factors (PIFs). To promote photomorphogenesis, light activates the phytochrome family of sensory photoreceptors, which inhibits these repressors by poorly understood mechanisms. Here, we show that the CUL4 COP1-SPA E3 ubiquitin ligase is necessary for the light-induced degradation of PIF1 in Arabidopsis. The light-induced ubiquitylation and subsequent degradation of PIF1 is reduced in the cop1, spaQ and cul4 backgrounds. COP1, SPA1 and CUL4 preferentially form complexes with the phosphorylated forms of PIF1 in response to light. The cop1 and spaQ seeds display strong hyposensitive response to far-red light-mediated seed germination and light-regulated gene expression. These data show a mechanism by which an E3 ligase attenuates its activity by degrading its cofactor in response to light.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

CUL4 forms an E3 ligase with COP1 and SPA to promote light-induced degradation of PIF1

et al. 2015

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“…Thus, having multiple kinases and E3 ubiquitin ligases might allow fine-tuning the rate of degradation and the sensitivity to different fluences. Second, PIFs are not involved only in light signaling pathways, but recent studies highlight the importance of PIFs in multiple aspects of plant growth and development and response pathways (Leivar and Monte, 2014;Paik et al, 2017). Thus, PIFs act as a central hub in many cellular signaling pathways (e.g.…”

Section: E3 Ligases For Pifsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, PIFs act as a central hub in many cellular signaling pathways (e.g. GA, brassinosteroid [BR], auxin, ethylene, JA, circadian, and many others; Leivar and Monte, 2014;Paik et al, 2017). Therefore, signaling factors from these pathways (e.g.…”

Section: E3 Ligases For Pifsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…PIFs are encoded by a subset of the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor superfamily. PIFs function as negative regulators of light responses by repressing photomorphogenesis and maintaining the skotomorphogenic state of the etiolated seedlings in darkness (Leivar and Quail, 2011;Leivar and Monte, 2014). Upon exposure to light, phytochromes promote the turnover of PIFs through rapid phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and proteasome-mediated degradation, which inhibits PIF function to induce transcriptional reprogramming, resulting in photomorphogenic development .…”

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Phytochromes and Phytochrome Interacting Factors

2017

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The basic helix-loop-helix domain-containing transcription factors that interact physically with the red and far-red light photoreceptors, phytochromes, are called PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTORS (PIFs). In the last two decades, the phytochrome-PIF signaling module has been shown to be conserved from Physcomitrella patens to higher plants. Exciting recent studies highlight the discovery of at least four distinct kinases (PPKs, CK2, BIN2, and phytochrome itself) and four families of ubiquitin ligases (SCF EBF 1/2 , CUL3 LRB , CUL3 BOP , and CUL4 COP1-SPA ) that regulate PIF abundance both in dark and light conditions. This review discusses these recent discoveries with a focus on the central phytochrome signaling mechanisms that have a profound impact on plant growth and development in response to light.

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