title: Development of transgenic crops based on photo-biotechnology.
abstract: The phenotypes associated with plant photomorphogenesis such as the suppressed shade avoidance response and de-etiolation offer the potential for significant enhancement of crop yields. Of many light signal transducers and transcription factors involved in the photomorphogenic responses of plants, this review focuses on the transgenic overexpression of the photoreceptor genes at the uppermost stream of the signalling events, particularly phytochromes, crytochromes and phototropins as the transgenes for the genetic engineering of crops with improved harvest yields. In promoting the harvest yields of crops, the photoreceptors mediate the light regulation of photosynthetically important genes, and the improved yields often come with the tolerance to abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity and heavy metal ions. As a genetic engineering approach, the term photo-biotechnology has been coined to convey the idea that the greater the photosynthetic efficiency that crop plants can be engineered to possess, the stronger the resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Development of GM crops based on photoreceptor transgenes (mainly phytochromes, crytochromes and phototropins) is reviewed with the proposal of photo-biotechnology that the photoreceptors mediate the light regulation of photosynthetically important genes, and the improved yields often come with the added benefits of crops' tolerance to environmental stresses.
authors.affiliation: Subtropical Horticulture Research Institute and Faculty of Biotechnology, Jeju National University, Jeju, 63243, Korea.|Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, Kolkata, 700073, India.
authors.forename: Markkandan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ganesan
authors.affiliation: Subtropical Horticulture Research Institute and Faculty of Biotechnology, Jeju National University, Jeju, 63243, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyo-Yeon
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Kumho Life Science Laboratory, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong-Il
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Subtropical Horticulture Research Institute and Faculty of Biotechnology, Jeju National University, Jeju, 63243, Korea.
authors.forename: Pill-Soon
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4166-8691
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D001709:Biotechnology; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000235:genetics* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008027:Light; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000528:radiation effects; D010641:Phenotype; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified
keywords: photoreceptors; phytochromes; shade avoidance response; stress tolerance; turfgrass