Expression of light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b protein genes is phytochrome-regulated in etiolated Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings

Phytochrome action results in a large and rapid increase in the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-protein (LHCP) mRNA level in etiolated seedlings of Arabidopsis thaliana: the RNA increase is detectable within 1 hour after 1 minute red illumination, reaches a maximum 30-fold higher than the dark level at ca. 2 hours, and decays back to dark levels by about 8 hours after the brief red illumination. S1 nuclease analysis distinguishes two kinds of mRNAs transcribed from the three members of the LHCP gene family previously characterized for Arabidopsis (LS Leutwiler, EM Meyerowitz, EM Tobin, 1986 Nucleic Acids Res 14: 4051-4064). One of these arises from the AB140 gene, while the other represents the product(s) of the AB165 and/or AB180 gene(s) (AB165/AB180 mRNA). In mature, white light-grown plants, the two kinds of mRNAs are present in nearly equal amounts. In contrast, in etiolated seedlings, 1 minute red light causes a sixfold greater increase in the level of AB140 mRNA than in the level of AB165/AB180 mRNA, although both levels are regulated by phytochrome action. The kinetics of the responses to 1 minute red light are similar for both kinds of transcripts. Additional evidence suggests that this differential expression is developmentally regulated. Because the AB140 gene offers an attractive target for further analysis of phytochrome-regulated gene expression in Arabidopsis, we have further characterized this gene by mapping its 5′ and 3′ transcript termini.