ELF3 encodes a circadian clock-regulated nuclear protein that functions in an Arabidopsis PHYB signal transduction pathway.
Many aspects of plant development are regulated by photoreceptor function and the circadian clock. Loss-of-function mutations in the Arabidopsis EARLY FLOWERING 3 (ELF3) and PHYTOCHROME B (PHYB) genes cause early flowering and influence the activity of circadian clock-regulated processes. We demonstrate here that the relative abundance of the ELF3 protein, which is a novel nucleus-localized protein, displays circadian regulation that follows the pattern of circadian accumulation of ELF3 transcript. Furthermore, the ELF3 protein interacts with PHYB in the yeast two-hybrid assay and in vitro. Genetic analyses show that ELF3 requires PHYB function in early morphogenesis but not for the regulation of flowering time. This suggests that ELF3 is a component of a PHYB signaling complex that controls early events in plant development but that ELF3 and PHYB control flowering via independent signal transduction pathways.
Liu
X L
XL
Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, USA.
Covington
M F
MF
Fankhauser
C
C
Chory
J
J
Wagner
D R
DR
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017343:Genes, Plant; D008027:Light; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D010786:Photoreceptor Cells; D010834:Phytochrome / Q000502:physiology; D051939:Phytochrome B; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D011485:Protein Binding; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010834:Phytochrome; D051939:Phytochrome B; D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C432430:At2g25930 protein, Arabidopsis; C497952:PHYB protein, Arabidopsis