A role for peroxisomes in photomorphogenesis and development of Arabidopsis

The nuclear protein DET1 is a central repressor of photomorphogenesis in plants. We have identified the molecular lesion in ted3, a mutation that dominantly suppresses the phenotypes of det1-1. TED3 encodes a peroxisomal protein (AtPex2p) essential for Arabidopsis growth. Developmental defects and the abnormal expression of many genes in det1 are rescued by ted3. ted3 also partially suppresses another pleiotropic de-etiolated mutant cop1. Thus, peroxisomes, whose functions are still largely unexplored, play a key role in a photomorphogenetic pathway negatively regulated by the DET1 and COP proteins.