Advances in plant photobiology: let’s light it up once again

Abstract

Light serves as a crucial environmental cue regulating plant growth and development. The light signaling pathway in plants initiates with the detection of light by photoreceptors and culminates in the alteration of the transcriptome and subsequent phenotypic modifications. A sophisticated and interconnected signaling network operates downstream of the photoreceptors to modulate the expression of the light-regulated genes. In this Special Issue, we discuss several new roles of light signal components together with interactions of this pathway with other signaling networks to regulate various physiological and developmental processes. The evolution of components of the light signaling pathway is also highlighted. The role of light in regulating various aspects of plant development has fascinated scientists for a long time. Several groups spread all over the world are engaged in photobiology research. In January 2024, the EMBO-ISPP (International Symposium on Plant Photobiology) was conducted at NISER Bhubaneswar followed by a satellite meeting at IISER Bhopal, India. At this meeting, various advances in the field of plant photobiology were discussed, which form the basis of this Special Issue. The issue comprises several reviews that outline new developments in the field, as highlighted below.