PHYTOCHROME RAPIDLY REGULATED1 (PAR1) and PAR2 are two negative regulators of shade avoidance syndrome (SAS) responses in Arabidopsis. PAR1 and PAR2 belong to the bHLH family of transcription factors and act as direct transcriptional repressors of auxin- and brassinosteroid-responsive genes. These observations led us to propose that PAR1 and PAR2 might integrate shade and hormone signals. After plant proximity perception by the phytochrome photoreceptors, the expression of PAR1, PAR2 and dozens of additional PAR genes is affected, initiating a complex web of transcriptional events instrumental for the establishment of the SAS responses. Studying the organization of this complex transcriptional network, that is, the interactions amongst the different PAR factors involved and how they are connected with the endogenous hormone-regulated transcriptional networks, seems therefore fundamental to understand how SAS is modulated.
Keywords: PAR genes; SAUR genes; arabidopsis; auxin; bHLH; phytochrome; regulatory modules; shade avoidance.