Plants are extremely competitive, especially when it comes to getting their fair share of sunlight. Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have determined precisely how leaves tell stems to grow when a plant is caught in a shady place. In a paper published April 15 in Genes and Development, the researchers report that a protein known as phytochrome interacting factor 7 (PIF7) serves as the key messenger between a plant’s cellular light sensors and the production of auxins, hormones that stimulate stem growth. “We knew how leaves sensed light and that auxins drove growth, but we didn’t understand… Login to continue

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