Transcription factors HB21/40/53 trigger inflorescence arrest through abscisic acid accumulation at the end of flowering

Abstract

Flowers, and hence, fruits and seeds, are produced by the activity of the inflorescence meristem after the floral transition. In plants with indeterminate inflorescences the final number of flowers produced by the inflorescence meristem is determined by the length of the flowering period, which ends with inflorescence arrest. Inflorescence arrest depends on many different factors, such as the presence of seeds, the influence of the environment, or endogenous factors such as phytohormone levels and age, which modulate inflorescence meristem activity. The FRUITFULL-APETALA2 (FUL-AP2) pathway plays a major role in regulating the end of flowering, likely integrating both endogenous cues and those related to seed formation. Among AP2 targets, HOMEOBOX PROTEIN21 (HB21) has been identified as a putative mediator of AP2 function in the control of inflorescence arrest. HB21 is a homeodomain leucine zipper transcription factor involved in establishing axillary bud dormancy. Here we characterized the role of HB21 in the control of the inflorescence arrest at the end of flowering in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). HB21, together with HB40 and HB53, are upregulated in the inflorescence apex at the end of flowering, promoting floral bud arrest. We also show that abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation occurs in the inflorescence apex in an HB-dependent manner. Our work suggests a physiological role of ABA in floral bud arrest at the end of flowering, pointing to ABA as a regulator of inflorescence arrest downstream of the HB21/40/53 genes.