Light quality signals generated by vegetation shade facilitate acclimation to reduced light quantity in shade-avoider plants

SUMMARY When growing in search for light, plants can experience continuous or occasional shading by other plants. Plant proximity causes a decrease in the ratio of red to far red light (low R:FR) due to the preferential absorbance of red light and reflection of far red light by photosynthetic tissues of neighboring plants. This signal is often perceived before actual shading causes a reduction in photosynthetically active radiation (low PAR). Here we investigated elongation, photosynthesis and photoacclimation responses in several Brassicaceae species to explore the possible connections between low R:FR and low PAR. A negative correlation was found in shade-tolerant Cardamine hirsuta and shade-avoider Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings (e.g., shade-tolerance was associated with a good adaptation to low PAR but a poor or null response to low R:FR exposure). However, they could be genetically uncoupled. Most interestingly, exposure to low R:FR of shade-avoider plants improved their photoacclimation to low PAR by triggering changes in photosynthesis-related gene expression, pigment accumulation and chloroplast ultrastructure. These results indicate that low R:FR signaling unleashes molecular, metabolic and developmental responses that allow shade-avoider plants (including most crops) to adjust their photosynthetic capacity in anticipation of eventual shading by nearby plants.