title: A Drought-Inducible Transcription Factor Delays Reproductive Timing in Rice.
abstract: The molecular mechanisms underlying photoperiod or temperature control of flowering time have been recently elucidated, but how plants regulate flowering time in response to other external factors, such as water availability, remains poorly understood. Using a large-scale Hybrid Transcription Factor approach, we identified a bZIP transcriptional factor, O. sativa ABA responsive element binding factor 1 (OsABF1), which acts as a suppressor of floral transition in a photoperiod-independent manner. Simultaneous knockdown of both OsABF1 and its closest homologous gene, OsbZIP40, in rice (Oryza sativa) by RNA interference results in a significantly earlier flowering phenotype. Molecular and genetic analyses demonstrate that a drought regime enhances expression of the OsABF1 gene, which indirectly suppresses expression of the Early heading date 1 (Ehd1) gene that encodes a key activator of rice flowering. Furthermore, we identified a drought-inducible gene named OsWRKY104 that is under the direct regulation of OsABF1 Overexpression of OsWRKY104 can suppress Ehd1 expression and confers a later flowering phenotype in rice. Together, these findings reveal a novel pathway by which rice modulates heading date in response to the change of ambient water availability.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China (C.Z., J.L., T.Z., C.L., C.Y., H.L., B.L.); College of Biology, Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Developmental Regulation, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China (J.L.); State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Yahua Seeds Science Academy of Hunan, Changsha, 410119, China (Y.Y.); and Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (A.G., C.L.).
authors.forename: Chunyu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China (C.Z., J.L., T.Z., C.L., C.Y., H.L., B.L.); College of Biology, Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Developmental Regulation, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China (J.L.); State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Yahua Seeds Science Academy of Hunan, Changsha, 410119, China (Y.Y.); and Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (A.G., C.L.).
authors.forename: Jun
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8686-8024
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China (C.Z., J.L., T.Z., C.L., C.Y., H.L., B.L.); College of Biology, Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Developmental Regulation, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China (J.L.); State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Yahua Seeds Science Academy of Hunan, Changsha, 410119, China (Y.Y.); and Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (A.G., C.L.).
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China (C.Z., J.L., T.Z., C.L., C.Y., H.L., B.L.); College of Biology, Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Developmental Regulation, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China (J.L.); State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Yahua Seeds Science Academy of Hunan, Changsha, 410119, China (Y.Y.); and Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (A.G., C.L.).
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.affiliation: Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China (C.Z., J.L., T.Z., C.L., C.Y., H.L., B.L.); College of Biology, Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Developmental Regulation, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China (J.L.); State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Yahua Seeds Science Academy of Hunan, Changsha, 410119, China (Y.Y.); and Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (A.G., C.L.).
authors.forename: Cong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China (C.Z., J.L., T.Z., C.L., C.Y., H.L., B.L.); College of Biology, Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Developmental Regulation, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China (J.L.); State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Yahua Seeds Science Academy of Hunan, Changsha, 410119, China (Y.Y.); and Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (A.G., C.L.).
authors.forename: Chunsheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China (C.Z., J.L., T.Z., C.L., C.Y., H.L., B.L.); College of Biology, Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Developmental Regulation, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China (J.L.); State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Yahua Seeds Science Academy of Hunan, Changsha, 410119, China (Y.Y.); and Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (A.G., C.L.).
authors.forename: Hongyu
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0466-3931
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China (C.Z., J.L., T.Z., C.L., C.Y., H.L., B.L.); College of Biology, Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Developmental Regulation, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China (J.L.); State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Yahua Seeds Science Academy of Hunan, Changsha, 410119, China (Y.Y.); and Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (A.G., C.L.).
authors.forename: Jianzhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China (C.Z., J.L., T.Z., C.L., C.Y., H.L., B.L.); College of Biology, Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Developmental Regulation, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China (J.L.); State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Yahua Seeds Science Academy of Hunan, Changsha, 410119, China (Y.Y.); and Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (A.G., C.L.).
authors.forename: Yuanzhu
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5672-5076
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China (C.Z., J.L., T.Z., C.L., C.Y., H.L., B.L.); College of Biology, Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Developmental Regulation, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China (J.L.); State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Yahua Seeds Science Academy of Hunan, Changsha, 410119, China (Y.Y.); and Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (A.G., C.L.) liubin05@caas.cn.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5836-2333
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China (C.Z., J.L., T.Z., C.L., C.Y., H.L., B.L.); College of Biology, Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Developmental Regulation, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China (J.L.); State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Yahua Seeds Science Academy of Hunan, Changsha, 410119, China (Y.Y.); and Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (A.G., C.L.).
authors.forename: Chentao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D055864:Droughts; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D034622:RNA Interference; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors