title: Evolutionary conservation of cold-induced antisense RNAs of FLOWERING LOCUS C in Arabidopsis thaliana perennial relatives.
abstract: Antisense RNA (asRNA) COOLAIR is expressed at A. thaliana FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) in response to winter temperatures. Its contribution to cold-induced silencing of FLC was proposed but its functional and evolutionary significance remain unclear. Here we identify a highly conserved block containing the COOLAIR first exon and core promoter at the 3' end of several FLC orthologues. Furthermore, asRNAs related to COOLAIR are expressed at FLC loci in the perennials A. alpina and A. lyrata, although some splicing variants differ from A. thaliana. Study of the A. alpina orthologue, PERPETUAL FLOWERING 1 (PEP1), demonstrates that AaCOOLAIR is induced each winter of the perennial life cycle. Introduction of PEP1 into A. thaliana reveals that AaCOOLAIR cis-elements confer cold-inducibility in this heterologous species while the difference between PEP1 and FLC mRNA patterns depends on both cis-elements and species-specific trans-acting factors. Thus, expression of COOLAIR is highly conserved, supporting its importance in FLC regulation.
authors.affiliation: 1] Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl von Linné Weg 10, D-50829 Cologne, Germany [2].
authors.forename: Loren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Castaings
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl von Linné Weg 10, D-50829 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bergonzi
authors.affiliation: 1] Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl von Linné Weg 10, D-50829 Cologne, Germany [2] Botanical Institute, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Strasse 47B, D-50674 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Maria C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Albani
authors.affiliation: 1] Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl von Linné Weg 10, D-50829 Cologne, Germany [2] Department of Biology, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, FIN-90014 Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Ulla
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kemi
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Biology, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, FIN-90014 Oulu, Finland [2] Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, FIN-90014 Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Outi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Savolainen
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl von Linné Weg 10, D-50829 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Coupland
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003080:Cold Temperature; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016372:RNA, Antisense / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; C418902:At5g10140 protein, Arabidopsis; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; D016372:RNA, Antisense