Multiple Pathways in the Decision to Flower: Enabling, Promoting, and Resetting

Boss, Paul K.; Bastow, Ruth; Mylne, Joshua S.; Dean, Caroline

doi:10.1105/tpc.015958

Cited by 595 publications

(500 citation statements)

References 173 publications

(214 reference statements)

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“…Attenuation of floral repressors can also be achieved through prolonged winter chilling (vernalization) that induces expression of VERNALI-ZATION-INSENSITIVE-3 (VIN3), which initiates stable epigenetic repression of FLC via the vernalization pathway (Sung & Amasino 2004;Finnegan & Dennis 2007). Deficiencies in FLC activators such as FRI remove the vernalization requirement for flowering, and under laboratory conditions result in a 'rapid-cycling' life history ( Johanson et al 2000;Michaels et al 2003;Boss et al 2004;Lempe et al 2005;Moon et al 2005;Shindo et al 2005;Searle et al 2006;Schmitz et al 2008). Through this complex network of converging pathways, Arabidopsis plants balance different seasonal cues in order to time flowering appropriately (Boss et al 2004;Wilczek et al 2009;see below).…”

Section: Seasonal Cues Regulating Plant Phenologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Comparisons between Col and Col FRI revealed the effects of vernalization sensitivity on the pre-flowering vegetative interval. Understanding the allelic effect of FRI is of special interest because both null and functional alleles at the FRI locus are found in natural populations, and chamber studies have suggested that FRI is involved in determining lifehistory variation in the wild (Johanson et al 2000;Boss et al 2004;Lempe et al 2005;Shindo et al 2005). We also considered a mutant line (Col FRI vin3) that does not respond developmentally to winter chilling, and by comparing this line with its control (Col FRI), we were able to assess the contribution of vernalization signals to developmental rate and timing of flowering.…”

Section: Phenology and Life-history Variation In Arabidopsis Thalianamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Genetic and physiological bases for phenological responses to current and predicted climates

Wilczek

Burghardt

Cobb

et al. 2010

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

191

178

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We are now reaching the stage at which specific genetic factors with known physiological effects can be tied directly and quantitatively to variation in phenology. With such a mechanistic understanding, scientists can better predict phenological responses to novel seasonal climates. Using the widespread model species Arabidopsis thaliana, we explore how variation in different genetic pathways can be linked to phenology and life-history variation across geographical regions and seasons. We show that the expression of phenological traits including flowering depends critically on the growth season, and we outline an integrated life-history approach to phenology in which the timing of later life-history events can be contingent on the environmental cues regulating earlier life stages. As flowering time in many plants is determined by the integration of multiple environmentally sensitive gene pathways, the novel combinations of important seasonal cues in projected future climates will alter how phenology responds to variation in the flowering time gene network with important consequences for plant life history. We discuss how phenology models in other systems-both natural and agricultural-could employ a similar framework to explore the potential contribution of genetic variation to the physiological integration of cues determining phenology.

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Section: Seasonal Cues Regulating Plant Phenologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Phenology and Life-history Variation In Arabidopsis Thalianamentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic and physiological bases for phenological responses to current and predicted climates

Wilczek

Burghardt

Cobb

et al. 2010

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

191

178

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“…Proper timing of this transition is critical for successful reproduction. Therefore, plants have evolved mechanisms to regulate flowering in response to both endogenous and environmental factors (Boss et al, 2004). These mechanisms help to ensure that plants flower at a suitable time in their development and a favorable time of year.…”

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confidence: 99%

Functional Redundancy and New Roles for Genes of the Autonomous Floral-Promotion Pathway

Veley

Michaels

2008

Plant Physiology

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The early-flowering habit of rapid-cycling accessions of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) is, in part, due to the genes of the autonomous floral-promotion pathway (AP). The AP promotes flowering by repressing expression of the floral inhibitor FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). AP mutants are therefore late flowering due to elevated levels of FLC, and this late-flowering phenotype is eliminated by loss-of-function mutations in FLC. To further investigate the role of the AP, we created a series of double mutants. In contrast to the phenotypes of single mutants, which are largely limited to delayed flowering, a subset of AP double mutants show a range of defects in growth and development. These phenotypes include reduced size, chlorophyll content, growth rate, and fertility. Unlike the effects of the AP on flowering time, these phenotypes are FLC independent. Recent work has also shown that two AP genes, FCA and FPA, are required for the repression and, in some cases, proper DNA methylation of two transposons. We show that similar effects are seen for all AP genes tested. Microarray analysis of gene expression in AP single and double mutants, however, suggests that the AP is not likely to play a broad role in the repression of gene expression through DNA methylation: very few of the genes that have been reported to be up-regulated in DNA methylation mutants are misexpressed in AP mutants. Together, these data indicate that the genes of the AP play important and sometimes functionally redundant roles in aspects of development in addition to flowering time.A fundamental question in biology is how differentiating cells make decisions between alternative fates. The change from vegetative to reproductive development in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) is an attractive model for studying the factors that regulate such developmental transitions. Early in the life cycle, the undifferentiated stem cells of the shoot apical meristem give rise to organ primordia that will produce the vegetative portions of the plant (e.g. leaves). Later, the shoot apical meristem switches to producing primordia that will form the reproductive organs (e.g. flowers). Proper timing of this transition is critical for successful reproduction. Therefore, plants have evolved mechanisms to regulate flowering in response to both endogenous and environmental factors (Boss et al., 2004). These mechanisms help to ensure that plants flower at a suitable time in their development and a favorable time of year.

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“…In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), flowering time is controlled by several pathways, including the photoperiod, gibberellin, autonomous, and vernalization pathways (Boss et al, 2004;Henderson and Dean, 2004). FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) is a key regulator of flowering, which negatively regulates downstream flowering activators such as FT and SOC1 (Michaels and Amasino, 2001;Helliwell et al, 2006).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

HISTONE DEACETYLASE6 Interacts with FLOWERING LOCUS D and Regulates Flowering in Arabidopsis

et al. 2011

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Histone acetylation and deacetylation play an important role in epigenetic controls of gene expression. HISTONE DEACETYLASE6 (HDA6) is a REDUCED POTASSIUM DEPENDENCY3-type histone deacetylase, and the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) hda6 mutant axe1-5 displayed a late-flowering phenotype. axe1-5/flc-3 double mutants flowered earlier than axe1-5 plants, indicating that the late-flowering phenotype of axe1-5 was FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) dependent. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation, in vitro pull-down, and coimmunoprecipitation assays revealed the protein-protein interaction between HDA6 and the histone demethylase FLD. It was found that the SWIRM domain in the amino-terminal region of FLD and the carboxyl-terminal region of HDA6 are responsible for the interaction between these two proteins. Increased levels of histone H3 acetylation and H3K4 trimethylation at FLC, MAF4, and MAF5 were found in both axe1-5 and fld-6 plants, suggesting functional interplay between histone deacetylase and demethylase in flowering control. These results support a scenario in which histone deacetylation and demethylation cross talk are mediated by physical association between HDA6 and FLD. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis indicated that HDA6 bound to the chromatin of several potential target genes, including FLC and MAF4. Genome-wide gene expression analysis revealed that, in addition to genes related to flowering, genes involved in gene silencing and stress response were also affected in hda6 mutants, revealing multiple functions of HDA6. Furthermore, a subset of transposons was up-regulated and displayed increased histone hyperacetylation, suggesting that HDA6 can also regulate transposons through deacetylating histone.

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Multiple Pathways in the Decision to Flower: Enabling, Promoting, and Resetting

Cited by 595 publications

References 173 publications

Genetic and physiological bases for phenological responses to current and predicted climates

Genetic and physiological bases for phenological responses to current and predicted climates

Functional Redundancy and New Roles for Genes of the Autonomous Floral-Promotion Pathway

HISTONE DEACETYLASE6 Interacts with FLOWERING LOCUS D and Regulates Flowering in Arabidopsis

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