title: NUCLEAR FACTOR Y, Subunit A (NF-YA) Proteins Positively Regulate Flowering and Act Through FLOWERING LOCUS T.
abstract: Photoperiod dependent flowering is one of several mechanisms used by plants to initiate the developmental transition from vegetative growth to reproductive growth. The NUCLEAR FACTOR Y (NF-Y) transcription factors are heterotrimeric complexes composed of NF-YA and histone-fold domain (HFD) containing NF-YB/NF-YC, that initiate photoperiod-dependent flowering by cooperatively interacting with CONSTANS (CO) to drive the expression of FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT). This involves NF-Y and CO binding at distal CCAAT and proximal "CORE" elements, respectively, in the FT promoter. While this is well established for the HFD subunits, there remains some question over the potential role of NF-YA as either positive or negative regulators of this process. Here we provide strong support, in the form of genetic and biochemical analyses, that NF-YA, in complex with NF-YB/NF-YC proteins, can directly bind the distal CCAAT box in the FT promoter and are positive regulators of flowering in an FT-dependent manner.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, United States of America.
authors.forename: Chamindika L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Siriwardana
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Nerina
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2465-8881
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gnesutta
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Roderick W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Kumimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, United States of America.
authors.forename: Daniel S
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9241-1813
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, United States of America.
authors.forename: Zachary A
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7225-0290
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mantovani
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, United States of America.
authors.forename: Ben F
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7182-9594
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Holt
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D023081:CCAAT-Binding Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011485:Protein Binding
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D023081:CCAAT-Binding Factor; C418905:FT protein, Arabidopsis; C000591833:NF-YA2 protein, Arabidopsis; C402244:nuclear factor Y