title: Phytochrome B in the mesophyll delays flowering by suppressing FLOWERING LOCUS T expression in Arabidopsis vascular bundles.
abstract: Light is one of the most important environmental factors that determine the timing of a plant's transition from the vegetative to reproductive, or flowering, phase. Not only daylength but also the spectrum of light greatly affect flowering. The shade of nearby vegetation reduces the ratio of red to far-red light and can trigger shade avoidance responses, including stem elongation and the acceleration of flowering. Phytochrome B (phyB) acts as a photoreceptor for this response. Physiological studies have suggested that leaves can perceive and respond to shade. However, little is known about the mechanisms involved in the processing of light signals within leaves. In this study, we used an enhancer-trap system to establish Arabidopsis thaliana transgenic lines that express phyB-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein in tissue-specific manners. The analysis of these lines demonstrated that phyB-GFP in mesophyll cells affected flowering, whereas phyB-GFP in vascular bundles did not. Furthermore, mesophyll phyB-GFP suppressed the expression of a key flowering regulator, FLOWERING LOCUS T, in the vascular bundles of cotyledons. Hence, a novel intertissue signaling from mesophyll to vascular bundles is revealed as a critical step for the regulation of flowering by phyB.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Motomu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Araki
authors.forename: Nobuyoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mochizuki
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nagatani
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008027:Light; D055537:Light Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D051939:Phytochrome B / Q000502:physiology*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; C418905:FT protein, Arabidopsis; C497952:PHYB protein, Arabidopsis; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D051939:Phytochrome B