Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer Constitutes the Photoactivation Mechanism of the Plant Photoreceptor UVR8

Unnatural Amino Acids for Biological Spectroscopy and Microscopy

Due to advances in methods for site-specific incorporation of unnatural amino acids (UAAs) into proteins, a large number of UAAs with tailored chemical and/or physical properties have been developed and used in a wide array of biological applications. In particular, UAAs with specific spectroscopic characteristics can be used as external reporters to produce additional signals, hence increasing the information content obtainable in protein spectroscopic and/or imaging measurements. In this Review, we summarize the progress in the past two decades in the development of such UAAs and their applications in biological spectroscopy and microscopy, with a focus on UAAs that can be used as site-specific vibrational, fluorescence, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) probes. Wherever applicable, we also discuss future directions.

RUP2 facilitates UVR8 redimerization via two interfaces

The plant UV-B photoreceptor UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8 (UVR8) exists as a homodimer in its inactive ground state. Upon UV-B exposure, UVR8 monomerizes and interacts with a downstream key regulator, the CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1/SUPPRESSOR OF PHYA (COP1/SPA) E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, to initiate UV-B signaling. Two WD40 proteins, REPRESSOR OF UV-B PHOTOMORPHOGENESIS 1 (RUP1) and RUP2 directly interact with monomeric UVR8 and facilitate UVR8 ground state reversion, completing the UVR8 photocycle. Here, we reconstituted the RUP-mediated UVR8 redimerization process in vitro and reported the structure of the RUP2-UVR8^W285A complex (2.0 Å). RUP2 and UVR8^W285A formed a heterodimer via two distinct interfaces, designated Interface 1 and 2. The previously characterized Interface 1 is found between the RUP2 WD40 domain and the UVR8 C27 subregion. The newly identified Interface 2 is formed through interactions between the RUP2 WD40 domain and the UVR8 core domain. Disruption of Interface 2 impaired UV-B induced photomorphogenic development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Further biochemical analysis indicated that both interfaces are important for RUP2-UVR8 interactions and RUP2-mediated facilitation of UVR8 redimerization. Our findings suggest that the two-interface-interaction mode is adopted by both RUP2 and COP1 when they interact with UVR8, marking a step forward in understanding the molecular basis that underpins the interactions between UVR8 and its photocycle regulators.

Cysteines have a role in conformation of the UVR8 photoreceptor

The UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8 (UVR8) photoreceptor mediates plant responses to Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) wavelengths. The UVR8 dimer dissociates into monomers following UV-B photoreception, a process accompanied by conformational changes that facilitate interaction of UVR8 with proteins that initiate responses. However, the importance of particular amino acids in maintaining UVR8 conformation and modulating protein interactions is poorly understood. Here we examine the roles of cysteine amino acids C231 and C335 in UVR8 structure and function. UVR8^C231S,C335S mutant protein forms dimers and monomerizes similarly to wild-type UVR8. UVR8^C231S,C335S interacts with CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1) in plants to initiate photomorphogenic responses to UV-B, although the interaction is weaker when examined in yeast two-hybrid assays. Similarly, the interaction of UVR8^C231S,C335S with REPRESSOR OF UV-B PHOTOMORPHOGENESIS (RUP) proteins is weaker in both plants and yeast compared with wild-type UVR8. Re-dimerization of UVR8 in plants, which is mediated by RUP proteins, occurs with reduced efficiency in UVR8^C231S,C335S . Fluorescence resonance energy transfer analysis indicates that UVR8^C231S,C335S has an altered conformation in plants, in that the N- and C-termini appear closer together, which may explain the altered protein interactions.

Dynamics and mechanism of dimer dissociation of photoreceptor UVR8

Photoreceptors are a class of light-sensing proteins with critical biological functions. UVR8 is the only identified UV photoreceptor in plants and its dimer dissociation upon UV sensing activates UV-protective processes. However, the dissociation mechanism is still poorly understood. Here, by integrating extensive mutations, ultrafast spectroscopy, and computational calculations, we find that the funneled excitation energy in the interfacial tryptophan (Trp) pyramid center drives a directional Trp-Trp charge separation in 80 ps and produces a critical transient Trp anion, enabling its ultrafast charge neutralization with a nearby positive arginine residue in 17 ps to destroy a key salt bridge. A domino effect is then triggered to unzip the strong interfacial interactions, which is facilitated through flooding the interface by channel and interfacial water molecules. These detailed dynamics reveal a unique molecular mechanism of UV-induced dimer monomerization.

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.

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.

Regulation of Arabidopsis gene expression by low fluence rate UV-B independently of UVR8 and stress signaling

UV-B exposure of plants regulates expression of numerous genes concerned with various responses. Sudden exposure of non-acclimated plants to high fluence rate, short wavelength UV-B induces expression via stress-related signaling pathways that are not specific to the UV-B stimulus, whereas low fluence rates of UV-B can regulate expression via the UV-B photoreceptor UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8 (UVR8). However, there is little information about whether non-stressful, low fluence rate UV-B treatments can activate gene expression independently of UVR8. Here, transcriptomic analysis of wild-type and uvr8 mutant Arabidopsis exposed to low fluence rate UV-B showed that numerous genes were regulated independently of UVR8. Moreover, nearly all of these genes were distinct to those induced by stress treatments. A small number of genes were expressed at all UV-B fluence rates employed and may be concerned with activation of eustress responses that facilitate acclimation to changing conditions. Expression of the gene encoding the transcription factor ARABIDOPSIS NAC DOMAIN CONTAINING PROTEIN 13 (ANAC13) was studied to characterise a low fluence rate, UVR8-independent response. ANAC13 is induced by as little as 0.1 μmol m-2 s-1 UV-B and its regulation is independent of components of the canonical UVR8 signaling pathway COP1 and HY5/HYH. Furthermore, UV-B induced expression of ANAC13 is independent of the photoreceptors CRY1, CRY2, PHOT1 and PHOT2 and phytochromes A, B, D and E. ANAC13 expression is induced over a range of UV-B wavelengths at low doses, with maximum response at 310 nm. This study provides a basis for further investigation of UVR8 and stress independent, low fluence rate UV-B signaling pathway(s).

UVR8-dependent reporters reveal spatial characteristics of signal spreading in plant tissues

The UV Resistance Locus 8 (UVR8) photoreceptor controls UV-B mediated photomorphogenesis in Arabidopsis. The aim of this work is to collect and characterize different molecular reporters of photomorphogenic UV-B responses. Browsing available transcriptome databases, we identified sets of genes responding specifically to this radiation and are controlled by pathways initiated from the UVR8 photoreceptor. We tested the transcriptional changes of several reporters and found that they are regulated differently in different parts of the plant. Our experimental system led us to conclude that the examined genes are not controlled by light piping of UV-B from the shoot to the root or signalling molecules which may travel between different parts of the plant body but by local UVR8 signalling. The initiation of these universal signalling steps can be the induction of Elongated Hypocotyl 5 (HY5) and its homologue, HYH transcription factors. We found that their transcript and protein accumulation strictly depends on UVR8 and happens in a tissue autonomous manner. Whereas HY5 accumulation correlates well with the UVR8 signal across cell layers, the induction of flavonoids depends on both UVR8 signal and a yet to be identified tissue-dependent or developmental determinant.

Proline 411 biases the conformation of the intrinsically disordered plant UVR8 photoreceptor C27 domain altering the functional properties of the peptide

UVR8 (UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8) is a UV-B photoreceptor responsible for initiating UV-B signalling in plants. UVR8 is a homodimer in its signalling inactive form. Upon absorption of UV radiation, the protein monomerizes into its photoactivated state. In the monomeric form, UVR8 binds the E3 ubiquitin ligase COP1 (CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1), triggering subsequent UV-B-dependent photomorphogenic development in plants. Recent in vivo experiments have shown that the UVR8 C-terminal region (aa 397-423; UVR8^C27) alone is sufficient to regulate the activity of COP1. In this work, CD spectroscopy and NMR experiments showed that the UVR8^C27 domain was non-structured but gained secondary structure at higher temperatures leading to increased order. Bias-exchange metadynamics simulations were also performed to evaluate the free energy landscape of UVR8^C27. An inverted free energy landscape was revealed, with a disordered structure in the global energy minimum. Flanking the global energy minimum, more structured states were found at higher energies. Furthermore, stabilization of the low energy disordered state was attributed to a proline residue, P411, as evident from P411A mutant data. P411 is also a key residue in UVR8 binding to COP1. UVR8^C27 is therefore structurally competent to function as a molecular switch for interaction of UVR8 with different binding partners since at higher free energies different structural conformations are being induced in this peptide. P411 has a key role for this function.

Photoactivation Mechanism, Timing of Protein Secondary Structure Dynamics and Carotenoid Translocation in the Orange Carotenoid Protein

The orange carotenoid protein (OCP) is a two-domain photoactive protein that noncovalently binds an echinenone (ECN) carotenoid and mediates photoprotection in cyanobacteria. In the dark, OCP assumes an orange, inactive state known as OCPO; blue light illumination results in the red active state, known as OCPR. The OCPR state is characterized by large-scale structural changes that involve dissociation and separation of C-terminal and N-terminal domains accompanied by carotenoid translocation into the N-terminal domain. The mechanistic and dynamic-structural relations between photon absorption and formation of the OCPR state have remained largely unknown. Here, we employ a combination of time-resolved UV-visible and (polarized) mid-infrared spectroscopy to assess the electronic and structural dynamics of the carotenoid and the protein secondary structure, from femtoseconds to 0.5 ms. We identify a hereto unidentified carotenoid excited state in OCP, the so-called S* state, which we propose to play a key role in breaking conserved hydrogen-bond interactions between carotenoid and aromatic amino acids in the binding pocket. We arrive at a comprehensive reaction model where the hydrogen-bond rupture with conserved aromatic side chains at the carotenoid β1-ring in picoseconds occurs at a low yield of <1%, whereby the β1-ring retains a trans configuration with respect to the conjugated π-electron chain. This event initiates structural changes at the N-terminal domain in 1 μs, which allow the carotenoid to translocate into the N-terminal domain in 10 μs. We identified infrared signatures of helical elements that dock on the C-terminal domain β-sheet in the dark and unfold in the light to allow domain separation. These helical elements do not move within the experimental range of 0.5 ms, indicating that domain separation occurs on longer time scales, lagging carotenoid translocation by at least 2 decades of time.

Strong pH-Dependent Near-Infrared Fluorescence in a Microbial Rhodopsin Reconstituted with a Red-Shifting Retinal Analogue

Near-infrared (NIR)-driven rhodopsins are of great interest in optogenetics and other optobiotechnological developments such as artificial photosynthesis and deep-tissue voltage imaging. Here we report that the proton pump proteorhodopsin (PR) containing a NIR-active retinal analogue (PR:MMAR) exhibits intense NIR fluorescence at a quantum yield of 3.3%. This is 130 times higher than native PR ( Lenz , M. O. ; Biophys J. 2006 , 91 , 255 - 262 ) and 3-8 times higher than the QuasAr and PROPS voltage sensors ( Kralj , J. ; Science 2011 , 333 , 345 - 348 ; Hochbaum , D. R. ; Nat. Methods 2014 , 11 , 825 - 833 ). The NIR fluorescence strongly depends on the pH in the range of 6-8.5, suggesting potential application of MMAR-binding proteins as ultrasensitive NIR-driven pH and/or voltage sensors. Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy showed that upon near-IR excitation, PR:MMAR features an unusually long fluorescence lifetime of 310 ps and the absence of isomerized photoproducts, consistent with the high fluorescence quantum yield. Stimulated Raman analysis indicates that the NIR-absorbing species develops upon protonation of a conserved aspartate, which promotes charge delocalization and bond length leveling due to an additional methylamino group in MMAR, in essence providing a secondary protonated Schiff base. This results in much smaller bond length alteration along the conjugated backbone, thereby conferring significant single-bond character to the C13═C14 bond and structural deformation of the chromophore, which interferes with photoinduced isomerization and extends the lifetime for fluorescence. Hence, our studies allow for a molecular understanding of the relation between absorption/emission wavelength, isomerization, and fluorescence in PR:MMAR. As acidification enhances the resonance state, this explains the strong pH dependence of the NIR emission.

Molecular cloning and functional analysis of a UV-B photoreceptor gene, BpUVR8 (UV Resistance Locus 8), from birch and its role in ABA response

As a photoreceptor specifically for UV-B light, UVR8 gene plays an important role in the photomorphogenesis and developmental growth of plants. In this research, we isolated the UVR8 gene from birch, named BpUVR8 (AHY02156). BpUVR8 overexpression rescued the uvr8 mutant phenotype using functional complementation assay of BpUVR8 in Arabidopsis uvr8 mutants, which showed that the function of UVR8 is conserved between Arabidopsis and birch. The expression analysis of BpUVR8 indicated that this gene is expressed in various tissues, but its expression levels in leaves are higher than in other organs. Moreover, abiotic stress factors, such as UV-B, salinity, and abscisic acid (ABA) can induce the expression of BpUVR8 gene. Interestingly, the analysis of promoter activity indicated that BpUVR8 promoter not only has the promoting activity but can also respond to the induction of abiotic stress and ABA signal. So, we analyzed its function in ABA response via transgenic UVR8 overexpression in Arabidopsis. The BpUVR8 enhances the susceptibility to ABA, which indicates that BpUVR8 is regulated by ABA and can inhibit seed germination. The root length of 20-day-old 35S::BpUVR8/WT transgenic plants was 18% reduced as compared to the wild-type under the ABA treatment. The membrane of the BpUVR8-overexpressing in Arabidopsis thaliana was the most damaged after ABA treatment and 35S::BpUVR8/WT transgenic plant was more sensitive to ABA than the wild type. These results showed that BpUVR8 is a positive regulator in the ABA signal transduction pathway. In the presence of low dose of UV-B, the sensitivity of wild-type and 35S::BpUVR8/WT plants to ABA was reduced. Moreover, BpUVR8 regulates the expression of a subset of ABA-responsive genes, both in Arabidopsis and Betula platyphylla, under the ABA treatment. Our data provide evidence that BpUVR8 is a positive regulator in the UV-B-induced photomorphogenesis in plants. Moreover, we propose from this research that BpUVR8 might have an important role in integrating plant growth and ABA signaling pathway.

Evolutionary conservation of structure and function of the UVR8 photoreceptor from the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha and the moss Physcomitrella patens

The ultraviolet-B (UV-B) photoreceptor UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8 (UVR8) mediates photomorphogenic responses to UV-B in Arabidopsis through differential gene expression, but little is known about UVR8 in other species. Bryophyte lineages were the earliest diverging embryophytes, thus being the first plants facing the UV-B regime typical of land. We therefore examined whether liverwort and moss species have functional UVR8 proteins and whether they are regulated similarly to Arabidopsis UVR8. We examined the expression, dimer/monomer status, cellular localisation and function of Marchantia polymorpha and Physcomitrella patens UVR8 in experiments with bryophyte tissue and expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-UVR8 fusions in Nicotiana leaves and transgenic Arabidopsis. P. patens expresses two UVR8 genes that encode functional proteins, whereas the single M. polymorpha UVR8 gene expresses two transcripts by alternative splicing that encode functional UVR8 variants. P. patens UVR8 proteins form dimers that monomerise and accumulate in the nucleus following UV-B exposure, similar to Arabidopsis UVR8, but M. polymorpha UVR8 has weaker dimers and the proteins appear more constitutively nuclear. We conclude that liverwort and moss species produce functional UVR8 proteins. Although there are differences in expression and regulation of P. patens and M. polymorpha UVR8, the mechanism of UVR8 action is strongly conserved in evolution.

Difference in the action spectra for UVR8 monomerisation and HY5 transcript accumulation in Arabidopsis

The action spectrum for monomerisation of the plant UV-B photoreceptor UVR8 peaks at a shorter wavelength than that for HY5 transcript accumulation, mediated by UVR8, in the same tissue.

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.

Reaction dynamics of the chimeric channelrhodopsin C1C2

Channelrhodopsin (ChR) is a key protein of the optogenetic toolkit. C1C2, a functional chimeric protein of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii ChR1 and ChR2, is the only ChR whose crystal structure has been solved, and thus uniquely suitable for structure-based analysis. We report C1C2 photoreaction dynamics with ultrafast transient absorption and multi-pulse spectroscopy combined with target analysis and structure-based hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics calculations. Two relaxation pathways exist on the excited (S₁) state through two conical intersections CI₁ and CI₂, that are reached via clockwise and counter-clockwise rotations: (i) the C13=C14 isomerization path with 450 fs via CI₁ and (ii) a relaxation path to the initial ground state with 2.0 ps and 11 ps via CI₂, depending on the hydrogen-bonding network, hence indicating active-site structural heterogeneity. The presence of the additional conical intersection CI₂ rationalizes the relatively low quantum yield of photoisomerization (30 ± 3%), reported here. Furthermore, we show the photoreaction dynamics from picoseconds to seconds, characterizing the complete photocycle of C1C2.

How plants cope with UV-B: from perception to response

Ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B) is an intrinsic part of the solar radiation that reaches the Earth's surface and affects the biosphere. Plants have evolved a specific UV-B signaling pathway mediated by the UVR8 photoreceptor that regulates growth, development, and acclimation. Major recent advances have contributed to our understanding of the UVR8 photocycle, UV-B-responsive protein-protein interactions, regulation of UVR8 subcellular localization, and UVR8-regulated physiological responses. Here, we review the latest progress in our understanding of UVR8 signaling and UV-B responses, which includes studies in the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and the flowering plant Arabidopsis.

Natural Resources for Optogenetic Tools

Photoreceptors are found in all kingdoms of life and mediate crucial responses to environmental challenges. Nature has evolved various types of photoresponsive protein structures with different chromophores and signaling concepts for their given purpose. The abundance of these signaling proteins as found nowadays by (meta-)genomic screens enriched the palette of optogenetic tools significantly. In addition, molecular insights into signal transduction mechanisms and design principles from biophysical studies and from structural and mechanistic comparison of homologous proteins opened seemingly unlimited possibilities for customizing the naturally occurring proteins for a given optogenetic task. Here, a brief overview on the photoreceptor concepts already established as optogenetic tools in natural or engineered form, their photochemistry and their signaling/design principles is given. Finally, so far not regarded photosensitive modules and protein architectures with potential for optogenetic application are described.

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.

Dimer/monomer status and in vivo function of salt-bridge mutants of the plant UV-B photoreceptor UVR8

UV RESISTANCE LOCUS8 (UVR8) is a photoreceptor for ultraviolet-B (UV-B) light that initiates photomorphogenic responses in plants. UV-B photoreception causes rapid dissociation of dimeric UVR8 into monomers that interact with CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC1 (COP1) to initiate signal transduction. Experiments with purified UVR8 show that the dimer is maintained by salt-bridge interactions between specific charged amino acids across the dimer interface. However, little is known about the importance of these charged amino acids in determining dimer/monomer status and UVR8 function in plants. Here we evaluate the use of different methods to examine dimer/monomer status of UVR8 and show that mutations of several salt-bridge amino acids affect dimer/monomer status, interaction with COP1 and photoreceptor function of UVR8 in vivo. In particular, the salt-bridges formed between arginine 286 and aspartates 96 and 107 are key to dimer formation. Mutation of arginine 286 to alanine impairs dimer formation, interaction with COP1 and function in vivo, whereas mutation to lysine gives a weakened dimer that is functional in vivo, indicating the importance of the positive charge of the arginine/lysine residue for dimer formation. Notably, a UVR8 mutant in which aspartates 96 and 107 are conservatively mutated to asparagine is strongly impaired in dimer formation but mediates UV-B responses in vivo with a similar dose-response relationship to wild-type. The UV-B responsiveness of this mutant does not correlate with dimer formation and monomerisation, indicating that monomeric UVR8 has the potential for UV-B photoreception, initiating signal transduction and responses in plants.

Hormone-controlled UV-B responses in plants

Ultraviolet B (UV-B) light is a portion of solar radiation that has significant effects on the development and metabolism of plants. Effects of UV-B on plants can be classified into photomorphogenic effects and stress effects. These effects largely rely on the control of, and interactions with, hormonal pathways. The fairly recent discovery of the UV-B-specific photoreceptor UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8 (UVR8) allowed evaluation of the role of downstream hormones, leading to the identification of connections with auxin and gibberellin. Moreover, a substantial overlap between UVR8 and phytochrome responses has been shown, suggesting that part of the responses caused by UVR8 are under PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR control. UV-B effects can also be independent of UVR8, and affect different hormonal pathways. UV-B affects hormonal pathways in various ways: photochemically, affecting biosynthesis, transport, and/or signaling. This review concludes that the effects of UV-B on hormonal regulation can be roughly divided in two: inhibition of growth-promoting hormones; and the enhancement of environmental stress-induced defense hormones.

A high performance fluorescence switching system triggered electrochemically by Prussian blue with upconversion nanoparticles

A high performance fluorescence switching system triggered electrochemically by Prussian blue with upconversion nanoparticles was proposed. We synthesized a kind of hexagonal monodisperse β-NaYF4:Yb(3+),Er(3+),Tm(3+) upconversion nanoparticle and manipulated the intensity ratio of red emission (at 653 nm) and green emission at (523 and 541 nm) around 2 : 1, in order to match well with the absorption spectrum of Prussian blue. Based on the efficient fluorescence resonance energy transfer and inner-filter effect of the as-synthesized upconversion nanoparticles and Prussian blue, the present fluorescence switching system shows obvious behavior with high fluorescence contrast and good stability. To further extend the application of this system in analysis, sulfite, a kind of important anion in environmental and physiological systems, which could also reduce Prussian blue to Prussian white nanoparticles leading to a decrease of the absorption spectrum, was chosen as the target. And we were able to determine the concentration of sulfite in aqueous solution with a low detection limit and a broad linear relationship.