The Arabidopsis FLC protein interacts directly in vivo with SOC1 and FT chromatin and is part of a high-molecular-weight protein complex.
The Arabidopsis Flowering Locus C (FLC) protein is a repressor of flowering regulated by genes in the autonomous and vernalization pathways. Previous genetic and transgenic data have suggested that FLC acts by repressing expression of the floral integrator genes SOC1 and FT. We have taken an in vivo approach to determine whether the FLC protein interacts directly with potential DNA targets. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation, we have shown that FLC binds to a region of the first intron of FT that contains a putative CArG box, and have confirmed that FLC binds to a CArG box in the promoter of the SOC1 gene. MADS box proteins are thought to bind their DNA targets as dimers or higher-order multimers. We have shown that FLC is a component of a multimeric protein complex in vivo and that more than one FLC polypeptides can be present in the complex.
Helliwell
Chris A
CA
CSIRO Plant Industry, GPO Box 1600, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia. chris.helliwell@csiro.au
Wood
Craig C
CC
Robertson
Masumi
M
James Peacock
W
W
Dennis
Elizabeth S
ES
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017931:DNA Primers; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
C419046:AGL20 protein, Arabidopsis; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D002843:Chromatin; D017931:DNA Primers; C418902:At5g10140 protein, Arabidopsis; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D011994:Recombinant Proteins