Light signalling via cAMP/cGMP second messengers in plants

Sunlight is the main source of energy for life on Earth. Plants capture this energy and use it to grow and produce oxygen, which makes them essential for life. To thrive in different lighting conditions, plants have evolved sophisticated ways to sense and respond to light. Understanding how plants detect and react to light is not only fascinating scienceit also has big implications for improving agriculture. Interestingly, plants and animals evolved separately, so they often use different methods to trans- mit signals inside their cells. In animals, tiny molecules called "second messengers"like cAMP and cGMPplay a key role in carrying signals triggered by things like hormones or light. Until recently, scientists thought these molecules werent very important in plants. But our new research shows otherwise. We`ve discovered that cAMP and cGMP are involved in how plants respond to auxin, a key hormone that controls growth. Even more surprising, we found that the main light-sensing proteins in plantscalled Phototropins (for blue light) and Phytochromes (for red light)can actually produce these second messengers. This discovery could change how we understand light signalling in plants. If cAMP and cGMP are central to how plants sense and respond to light, we might be able to develop new ways to improve plant growth and crop yieldsespecially under changing light conditions.

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