title: The Effect of Fluctuations in Photoperiod and Ambient Temperature on the Timing of Flowering: Time to Move on Natural Environmental Conditions.
abstract: Plants have become physiologically adapted to a seasonally shifting environment by evolving many sensory mechanisms. Seasonal flowering is a good example of adaptation to local environmental demands and is crucial for maximizing reproductive fitness. Photoperiod and temperature are major environmental stimuli that control flowering through expression of a floral inducer, FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) protein. Recent discoveries made using the model plantArabidopsis thalianahave shown that the functions of photoreceptors are essential for the timing ofFTgene induction, via modulation of the transcriptional activator CONSTANS (CO) at transcriptional and posttranslational levels in response to seasonal variations. The activation ofFTtranscription by the fine-tuned CO protein enables plants to switch from vegetative growth to flowering under inductive environmental conditions. The present review briefly summarizes our current understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which the information of environmental stimuli is sensed and transduced to triggerFTinduction in leaves.
authors: Department of Life Sciences, Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Korea.
authors: Young Hun
authors: YH
authors: Song
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000502:physiology; D004777:Environment; D035264:Flowers / Q000502:physiology*; D017440:Photoperiod; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013696:Temperature
keywords: CONSTANS; FLOWERING LOCUS T; Photoperiod; flowering; temperature fluctuation