UV-B Perceived by the UVR8 Photoreceptor Inhibits Plant Thermomorphogenesis

Abstract

Small increases in ambient temperature can elicit striking effects on plant architecture, collectively termed thermomorphogenesis. In Arabidopsis thaliana, these include marked stem elongation and leaf elevation, responses that have been predicted to enhance leaf cooling. Thermomorphogenesis requires increased auxin biosynthesis, mediated by the bHLH transcription factor PHYTOCHROMEINTERACTING FACTOR 4 (PIF4), and enhanced stability of the auxin co-receptor TIR1, involving HEAT SHOCK PROTEIN 90 (HSP90). High-temperature-mediated hypocotyl elongation additionally involves localized changes in auxin metabolism, mediated by the indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)-amido synthetase Gretchen Hagen 3 (GH3).17 [10]. Here we show that ultraviolet-B light (UV-B) perceived by the photoreceptor UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8 (UVR8) strongly attenuates thermomorphogenesis via multiple mechanisms inhibiting PIF4 activity. Suppression of thermomorphogenesis involves UVR8 and CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC1 (COP1)-mediated repression of PIF4 transcript accumulation, reducing PIF4 abundance. UV-B also stabilizes the bHLH protein LONG HYPOCOTYL IN FAR RED (HFR1), which can bind to and inhibit PIF4 function. Collectively, our results demonstrate complex crosstalk between UV-B and high-temperature signaling. As plants grown in sunlight would most likely experience concomitant elevations in UV-B and ambient temperature, elucidating how these pathways are integrated is of key importance to the understanding of plant development in natural environments.