Research progress of light receptors in plants

The light plays important roles in plants growth and development. Plants have an extremely elaborate photoreceptor system. Plant photoreceptors, as the protein receiving light, regulate many plant mechanisms such as molecular, cellular and developmental response. There are at least 5 types of light receptors including phytochrome, cryptochrome, phototropin, zeitlupes and UVB receptors. The light receptors of construction, physical and chemical properties, biological functions, signal transduction and the research progress of molecular biology were reviewed and the functions of light receptors and signal transduction in plant development and their molecular mechanisms were discussed in this paper