DNA-binding activity of PIF7 links phytochrome B signaling to plant responses to vegetation proximity

Abstract

PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTORs (PIFs) are transcription factors that act as central signaling hubs in light regulated processes. All PIFs contain an Active Phytochrome B Binding (APB) motif and a DNA-binding basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) domain. In the shade-avoider Arabidopsis thaliana, PIF7 is a major promoter of hypocotyl elongation in response to vegetation proximity, becoming active when released from phytochrome B via its APB motif. Here we show that PIF7 promotes seedling elongation in other species, including the shade-avoider tomato and the shade-tolerant Cardamine hirsuta, suggesting that PIF7 has retained some of its key functional domains across diverse plants. Through complementation analyses using PIF7 variants lacking either the APB or bHLH domain, we demonstrate that, unlike PIF3, PIF7 versions unable to bind phytochrome B remain active regardless of light conditions, whereas loss of DNA-binding capacity fully disrupts PIF7 function. Our results further suggest that phytochrome B interaction imposes a dual regulatory control over PIF7, modulating both its abundance and its phosphorylation state, i.e., its ability to bind and regulate target genes.