A chimeric photoreceptor gene, NEOCHROME, has arisen twice during plant evolution

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0504734102
• Publication Date: 2005-09-09T00:33:26Z
• Authors: Noriyuki Suetsugu; Franz Mittmann; Gottfried Wagner; Jon Hughes; Masamitsu Wada
• Keywords: Phytochrome; Phototropism; Phototropin; Far-red; Green algae; plant evolution

Although most plant species from algae to flowering plants use blue light for inducing phototropism and chloroplast movement, many ferns, some mosses, green red as well the regulation of these responses, resulting in better sensitivity at low levels. During their evolution, ferns have created a chimeric photoreceptor (phy3 Adiantum ) between phytochrome (phy) phototropin (phot) enabling them effectively. We identified two genes resembling PHY3 , NEOCHROME1 NEOCHROME2 ( MsNEO1 MsNEO2 ), alga Mougeotia scalaris famous its light-regulated movement. Like both MsNEO gene products show phytochrome-typical bilin binding red/far-red reversibility, difference spectra matching known action light-induced movement . Furthermore, rescue red-light-induced phy3 mutants, indicating functional equivalence. However, fern algal seem arisen independently thus providing an intriguing example convergent evolution.