A phylogenetically conserved APETALA2/ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR, ERF12, regulates Arabidopsis floral development

Abstract

Key message Arabidopsis ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR12 (ERF12), the rice MULTIFLORET SPIKELET1 orthologue pleiotropically affects meristem identity, floral phyllotaxy and organ initiation and is conserved among angiosperms. Abstract Reproductive development necessitates the coordinated regulation of meristem identity and maturation and lateral organ initiation via positive and negative regulators and network integrators. We have identified ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR12 (ERF12) as the Arabidopsis orthologue of MULTIFLORET SPIKELET1 (MFS1) in rice. Loss of ERF12 function pleiotropically affects reproductive development, including defective floral phyllotaxy and increased floral organ merosity, especially supernumerary sepals, at incomplete penetrance in the first-formed flowers. Wildtype floral organ number in early formed flowers is labile, demonstrating that floral meristem maturation involves the stabilisation of positional information for organogenesis, as well as appropriate identity. A subset of erf12 phenotypes partly defines a narrow developmental time window, suggesting that ERF12 functions heterochronically to fine-tune stochastic variation in wild type floral number and similar to MFS1, promotes meristem identity. ERF12 expression encircles incipient floral primordia in the inflorescence meristem periphery and is strong throughout the floral meristem and intersepal regions. ERF12 is a putative transcriptional repressor and genetically opposes the function of its relatives DORNRÖSCHEN, DORNRÖSCHEN-LIKE and PUCHI and converges with the APETALA2 pathway. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that ERF12 is conserved among all eudicots and appeared in angiosperm evolution concomitant with the generation of floral diversity.

A Complex Gene Network Mediated by Ethylene Signal Transduction TFs Defines the Flower Induction and Differentiation in Olea europaea L.

“…Auxin involvement in the olive flower induction was confirmed by AP2-like ethylene-responsive transcription factor AIL6 over-expression in July ‘OFF’ sample ( Table 2 ). This ortholog gene of Arabidopsis AINTEGUMENTA-LIKE 6/PLETHORA 3 should trigger the flower induction as already reported in Arabidopsis [ 85 , 86 ].…”

“…More interestingly, 13 over-expressed genes in July ‘OFF’ were ERF TF family members: ERF086 , ortholog of Arabidopsis PUCHI , and two isoforms of the AP2-like ethylene-responsive transcription factor AIL6 gene , ortholog of Arabidopsis aintegumenta-like 6/ pletora 3 ( Table 2 ). Indeed, both PUCHI and aintegumenta-like6/ pletora 3 showed a key role in determining the identity of the bud flower meristem as well as defining the flower organ initiation [ 85 , 86 ]. In Arabidopsis , PUCHI expression during the flower meristem identity process appeared transcriptionally regulated by auxins [ 87 ], which in turn regulated their levels acting on the polar auxin transport and would also promote the over-expression of LEAFY , one of the genes that showed a key role in the determination of the flower meristem identity.…”

Transcriptional Cascade in the Regulation of Flowering in the Bamboo Orchid Arundina graminifolia

“…WRKY34 induces proteolysis of FRI to regulate flowering in the vernalization pathway [ 57 ]. ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR12 (ERF12), in Arabidopsis , is an ortholog of MULTIFLORET SPIKELET1 in rice and it pleiotropically affects floral phyllotaxy, meristem identity, and organ initiation in plants [ 58 ]. Dependent on the photoperiod, ERF12 is a putative transcriptional repressor and integrates into the AP2 (APETALA2) pathway to regulate floral organ identity and floral timing [ 58 , 59 ].…”

“…ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR12 (ERF12), in Arabidopsis , is an ortholog of MULTIFLORET SPIKELET1 in rice and it pleiotropically affects floral phyllotaxy, meristem identity, and organ initiation in plants [ 58 ]. Dependent on the photoperiod, ERF12 is a putative transcriptional repressor and integrates into the AP2 (APETALA2) pathway to regulate floral organ identity and floral timing [ 58 , 59 ]. In line with the transcriptomic data, ERF12 was abundantly expressed in FD5 compared to other stages, where its expression was negligible ( Figure 6 a).…”

Genome-wide investigation of the AP2/ERF gene family in ginger: evolution and expression profiles during rhizome and inflorescence development

“…ZoERF#013 exhibited that the higher expression in all floral development stage and the highest expression in muature inflorescence , while its othologs in arabidopsis , ERF12, regulates the floral meristem identity [45], indicating that ZoERF#006 may share similar functions in ginger.…”