The Arabidopsis defense component EDM2 affects the floral transition in an FLC-dependent manner.
Arabidopsis thaliana EDM2 was previously shown to be specifically required for disease resistance mediated by the R protein RPP7. Here we provide additional data showing that the role of EDM2 in plant immunity is limited and does not include a function in basal defense. In addition, we found that EDM2 has a promoting effect on the floral transition. We further found that the protein kinase WNK8 physically interacts with EDM2 in the nucleus. Unlike EDM2, which serves as a substrate of this kinase, WNK8 appears not to be required for RPP7-mediated defense. As reported previously, however, WNK8 does affect flowering time. Epistasis analyses suggested that EDM2 acts upstream of the floral repressor FLC (AT5G10140) and downstream of WNK8 (AT5G41990) in a regulatory module that resembles the autonomous floral promotion pathway, comprising a set of mechanisms that are known to affect the floral transition by regulating FLC transcript levels.
Center for Plant Cell Biology, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California at Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
Tokuji
T
Tsuchiya
Thomas
T
Eulgem
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004843:Epistasis, Genetic; D035264:Flowers / Q000254:growth & development*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; C523205:EDM2 protein, Arabidopsis; C418902:At5g10140 protein, Arabidopsis; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; D018749:RNA, Plant; D014157:Transcription Factors; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; C508913:WNK8 protein, Arabidopsis