title: The role of COP1 in repression of photoperiodic flowering.
abstract: Plants use the circadian clock as a timekeeping mechanism to regulate photoperiodic flowering in response to the seasonal changes. CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1), initially identified as a central repressor of seedling photomorphogenesis, was recently shown to be involved in the regulation of light input to the circadian clock, modulating the circadian rhythm and flowering. COP1 encodes a RING-finger E3 ubiquitin ligase and works in concert with SUPPRESSOR of phyA-105 (SPA) proteins to repress photoperiodic flowering by regulating proteasome-mediated degradation of CONSTANS (CO), a central regulator of photoperiodic flowering. In addition, COP1 and EARLY FLOWERING 3 (ELF3) indirectly modulate CO expression via the degradation of GIGANTEA (GI). Here, we summarize the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying COP1's role in controlling of photoperiodic flowering.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Advanced Agriculture Sciences and School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Dongqing
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Advanced Agriculture Sciences and School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Danmeng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Advanced Agriculture Sciences and School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xing Wang
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Deng
keywords: CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1; COP1; flowering time; photoperiodic flowering