Light-regulated plant growth and development.

Plants are sessile and photo-autotrophic; their entire life cycle is thus strongly influenced by the ever-changing light environment. In order to sense and respond to those fluctuating conditions higher plants possess several families of photoreceptors that can monitor light from UV-B to the near infrared (far-red). The molecular nature of UV-B sensors remains unknown, red (R) and far-red (FR) light is sensed by the phytochromes (phyA-phyE in Arabidopsis) while three classes of UV-A/blue photoreceptors have been identified: cryptochromes, phototropins, and members of the Zeitlupe family (cry1, cry2, phot1, phot2, ZTL, FKF1, and LKP2 in Arabidopsis). Functional specialization within photoreceptor families gave rise to members optimized for a wide range of light intensities. Genetic and photobiological studies performed in Arabidopsis have shown that these light sensors mediate numerous adaptive responses (e.g., phototropism and shade avoidance) and developmental transitions (e.g., germination and flowering). Some physiological responses are specifically triggered by a single photoreceptor but in many cases multiple light sensors ensure a coordinated response. Recent studies also provide examples of crosstalk between the responses of Arabidopsis to different external factors, in particular among light, temperature, and pathogens. Although the different photoreceptors are unrelated in structure, in many cases they trigger similar signaling mechanisms including light-regulated protein-protein interactions or light-regulated stability of several transcription factors. The breath and complexity of this topic forced us to concentrate on specific aspects of photomorphogenesis and we point the readers to recent reviews for some aspects of light-mediated signaling (e.g., transition to flowering)

Inhibition of the shade avoidance response by formation of non-DNA binding bHLH heterodimers.

In shade-intolerant plants such as Arabidopsis, a reduction in the red/far-red (R/FR) ratio, indicative of competition from other plants, triggers a suite of responses known as the shade avoidance syndrome (SAS). The phytochrome photoreceptors measure the R/FR ratio and control the SAS. The phytochrome-interacting factors 4 and 5 (PIF4 and PIF5) are stabilized in the shade and are required for a full SAS, whereas the related bHLH factor HFR1 (long hypocotyl in FR light) is transcriptionally induced by shade and inhibits this response. Here we show that HFR1 interacts with PIF4 and PIF5 and limits their capacity to induce the expression of shade marker genes and to promote elongation growth. HFR1 directly inhibits these PIFs by forming non-DNA-binding heterodimers with PIF4 and PIF5. Our data indicate that PIF4 and PIF5 promote SAS by directly binding to G-boxes present in the promoter of shade marker genes, but their action is limited later in the shade when HFR1 accumulates and forms non-DNA-binding heterodimers. This negative feedback loop is important to limit the response of plants to shade

A Precision Angle Sensor using an Optical Lever inside a Sagnac Interferometer

We built an ultra low noise angle sensor by combining a folded optical lever and a Sagnac interferometer. The instrument has a measured noise floor of 1.3 prad / Hz^(1/2) at 2.4 kHz. We achieve this record angle sensitivity using a proof-of-concept apparatus with a conservative N=11 bounces in the optical lever. This technique could be extended to reach sub-picoradian / Hz^(1/2) sensitivities with an optimized design.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figure

Electromagnetic force density in dissipative isotropic media

We derive an expression for the macroscopic force density that a narrow-band electromagnetic field imposes on a dissipative isotropic medium. The result is obtained by averaging the microscopic form for Lorentz force density. The derived expression allows us to calculate realistic electromagnetic forces in a wide range of materials that are described by complex-valued electric permittivity and magnetic permeability. The three-dimensional energy-momentum tensor in our expression reduces for lossless media to the so-called Helmholtz tensor that has not been contradicted in any experiment so far. The momentum density of the field does not coincide with any well-known expression, but for non-magnetic materials it matches the Abraham expression

Light intensity modulates the regulatory network of the shade avoidance response in Arabidopsis.

Plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana respond to foliar shade and neighbors who may become competitors for light resources by elongation growth to secure access to unfiltered sunlight. Challenges faced during this shade avoidance response (SAR) are different under a light-absorbing canopy and during neighbor detection where light remains abundant. In both situations, elongation growth depends on auxin and transcription factors of the phytochrome interacting factor (PIF) class. Using a computational modeling approach to study the SAR regulatory network, we identify and experimentally validate a previously unidentified role for long hypocotyl in far red 1, a negative regulator of the PIFs. Moreover, we find that during neighbor detection, growth is promoted primarily by the production of auxin. In contrast, in true shade, the system operates with less auxin but with an increased sensitivity to the hormonal signal. Our data suggest that this latter signal is less robust, which may reflect a cost-to-robustness tradeoff, a system trait long recognized by engineers and forming the basis of information theory

Contribution to the modeling of solar spicules

Solar limb and disc spicule quasi- periodic motions have been reported for a long time, strongly suggesting that they are oscillating. In order to clear up the origin and possibly explain some solar limb and disc spicule quasi-periodic recurrences produced by overlapping effects, we present a simulation model assuming quasi- random positions of spicules. We also allow a set number of spicules with different physical properties (such as: height, lifetime and tilt angle as shown by an individual spicule) occurring randomly. Results of simulations made with three different spatial resolutions of the corresponding frames and also for different number density of spicules, are analyzed. The wavelet time/frequency method is used to obtain the exact period of spicule visibility. Results are compared with observations of the chromosphere from i/ the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) filtergrams taken at 1600 angstrom, ii/ the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) of Hinode taken in the Ca II H-line and iii/ the Sac-Peak Dunn's VTT taken in H{\alpha} line. Our results suggest the need to be cautious when interpreting apparent oscillations seen in spicule image sequences when overlapping is present, i.e.; when the spatial resolution is not enough to resolve individual components of spicules.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures, 1 tabl

Bleaching forces coral’s heterotrophy on diazotrophs and Synechococcus

© 2019, International Society for Microbial Ecology. Coral reefs are threatened by global warming, which disrupts the symbiosis between corals and their photosynthetic symbionts (Symbiodiniaceae), leading to mass coral bleaching. Planktonic diazotrophs or dinitrogen (N2)-fixing prokaryotes are abundant in coral lagoon waters and could be an alternative nutrient source for corals. Here we incubated untreated and bleached coral colonies of Stylophora pistillata with a 15N2-pre-labelled natural plankton assemblage containing diazotrophs. 15N2 assimilation rates in Symbiodiniaceae cells and tissues of bleached corals were 5- and 30-fold higher, respectively, than those measured in untreated corals, demonstrating that corals incorporate more nitrogen derived from planktonic diazotrophs under bleaching conditions. Bleached corals also preferentially fed on Synechococcus, nitrogen-rich picophytoplanktonic cells, instead of Prochlorococcus and picoeukaryotes, which have a lower cellular nitrogen content. By providing an alternative source of bioavailable nitrogen, both the incorporation of nitrogen derived from planktonic diazotrophs and the ingestion of Synechococcus may have profound consequences for coral bleaching recovery, especially for the many coral reef ecosystems characterized by high abundance and activity of planktonic diazotrophs

On the electrodynamics of moving bodies at low velocities

We discuss the seminal article in which Le Bellac and Levy-Leblond have identified two Galilean limits of electromagnetism, and its modern implications. We use their results to point out some confusion in the literature and in the teaching of special relativity and electromagnetism. For instance, it is not widely recognized that there exist two well defined non-relativistic limits, so that researchers and teachers are likely to utilize an incoherent mixture of both. Recent works have shed a new light on the choice of gauge conditions in classical electromagnetism. We retrieve Le Bellac-Levy-Leblond's results by examining orders of magnitudes, and then with a Lorentz-like manifestly covariant approach to Galilean covariance based on a 5-dimensional Minkowski manifold. We emphasize the Riemann-Lorenz approach based on the vector and scalar potentials as opposed to the Heaviside-Hertz formulation in terms of electromagnetic fields. We discuss various applications and experiments, such as in magnetohydrodynamics and electrohydrodynamics, quantum mechanics, superconductivity, continuous media, etc. Much of the current technology where waves are not taken into account, is actually based on Galilean electromagnetism

Magneto-Acoustic Wave Oscillations in Solar Spicules

Some observations suggest that solar spicules show small amplitude and high frequency oscillations of magneto-acoustic waves, which arise from photospheric granular forcing. We apply the method of MHD seismology to determine the period of kink waves. For this purposes, the oscillations of a magnetic cylinder embedded in a field-free environment is investigated. Finally, diagnostic diagrams displaying the oscillatory period in terms of some equilibrium parameters are provided to allow a comparison between theoretical results and those coming from observations.Comment: 10 pages, 4 fig