title: Transcriptional programs regulated by both LEAFY and APETALA1 at the time of flower formation.
abstract: Two key regulators of the switch to flower formation and of flower patterning in Arabidopsis are the plant-specific helix-turn-helix transcription factor LEAFY (LFY) and the MADS box transcription factor APETALA1 (AP1). The interactions between these two transcriptional regulators are complex. AP1 is both a direct target of LFY and can act in parallel with LFY. Available genetic and molecular evidence suggests that LFY and AP1 together orchestrate the switch to flower formation and early events during flower morphogenesis by altering transcriptional programs. However, very little is known about target genes regulated by both transcription factors. Here, we performed a meta-analysis of public datasets to identify genes that are likely to be regulated by both LFY and AP1. Our analyses uncovered known and novel direct LFY and AP1 targets with a role in the control of onset of flower formation. It also identified additional families of proteins and regulatory pathways that may be under transcriptional control by both transcription factors. In particular, several of these genes are linked to response to hormones, to transport and to development. Finally, we show that the gibberellin catabolism enzyme ELA1, which was recently shown to be important for the timing of the switch to flower formation, is positively feedback-regulated by AP1. Our study contributes to the elucidation of the regulatory network that leads to formation of a vital plant organ system, the flower.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
authors.forename: Cara M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Nobutoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Miin-Feng
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wagner
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D063990:Gene Ontology; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C091535:AP1 protein, Arabidopsis; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; C074747:LFY protein, Arabidopsis; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; C000591697:cytochrome P-450 714A1 protein, Arabidopsis