title: Transcription factor PIF4 controls the thermosensory activation of flowering.
abstract: Plant growth and development are strongly affected by small differences in temperature. Current climate change has already altered global plant phenology and distribution, and projected increases in temperature pose a significant challenge to agriculture. Despite the important role of temperature on plant development, the underlying pathways are unknown. It has previously been shown that thermal acceleration of flowering is dependent on the florigen, FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT). How this occurs is, however, not understood, because the major pathway known to upregulate FT, the photoperiod pathway, is not required for thermal acceleration of flowering. Here we demonstrate a direct mechanism by which increasing temperature causes the bHLH transcription factor PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR4 (PIF4) to activate FT. Our findings provide a new understanding of how plants control their timing of reproduction in response to temperature. Flowering time is an important trait in crops as well as affecting the life cycles of pollinator species. A molecular understanding of how temperature affects flowering will be important for mitigating the effects of climate change.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK.
authors.forename: S Vinod
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK.
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lucyshyn
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK.
authors.forename: Katja E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Jaeger
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK.
authors.forename: Enriqueta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alós
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alvey
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK.|Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK.
authors.forename: Nicholas P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Harberd
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK.
authors.forename: Philip A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Wigge
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D035264:Flowers / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017440:Photoperiod; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; C418905:FT protein, Arabidopsis; C459466:PIF4 protein, Arabidopsis