Sequential action of FRUITFULL as a modulator of the activity of the floral regulators SVP and SOC1.
The role in flowering time of the MADS-box transcription factor fruitfulL (FUL) has been proposed in many works. FUL has been connected to several flowering pathways as a target of the photoperiod, ambient temperature, and age pathways and it is has been shown to promote flowering in a partially redundant manner with suppressor of overexpression of constans 1 (SOC1). However, the position of FUL in these genetic networks, as well as the functional output of FUL activity during floral transition, remains unclear. In this work, a genetic approach has been undertaken to understand better the functional hierarchies involving FUL and other MADS-box factors with well established roles as floral integrators such as SOC1, short vegetative phase (svp) or flowering locus C (FLC). Our results suggest a prominent role of FUL in promoting reproductive transition when photoinductive signalling is suppressed by short-day conditions or by high levels of FLC expression, as in non-vernalized winter ecotypes. A model is proposed where the sequential formation of FUL-SVP and FUL-SOC1 heterodimers may mediate the vegetative and meristem identity transitions, counteracting the repressive effect of FLC and SVP on flowering.
Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Avenida de los Naranjos s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain.
Vicente
V
Balanzà
Irene
I
Martínez-Fernández
Cristina
C
Ferrándiz
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018519:Meristem / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D008954:Models, Biological; D010641:Phenotype; D017440:Photoperiod; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D012098:Reproduction; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
C419046:AGL20 protein, Arabidopsis; C097414:AGL8 protein, Arabidopsis; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; C407549:SVP protein, Arabidopsis; D014157:Transcription Factors
FLC; FUL; Flowering; MADS-box factors.; SOC1; SVP