Summary
Brassinosteroids (BRs) regulate a variety of physiological processes in plants via extensive crosstalk with diverse biological signaling networks. Although BRs are known to reciprocally regulate circadian oscillation, the molecular mechanism underlying BR-mediated regulation of circadian clock remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the BR-activated transcription factor
bri1
-EMS-SUPPRESSOR 1 (BES1) integrates BR signaling into the circadian network in Arabidopsis. BES1 repressed expression of
CIRCADIAN CLOCK-ASSOCIATED 1
(
CCA1
) and
LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL
(
LHY
) at night by binding to their promoters, together with TOPLESS (TPL). The repression of
CCA1
and
LHY
by BR treatment, which occurred during the night, was compromised in
bes1-ko
and
tpl-8
mutants. Consistently, long-term treatment with BR shortened the circadian period, and BR-induced rhythmic shortening was impaired in
bes1-ko
and
tpl-8
single mutants and in the
cca1-1lhy-21
double mutant. Overall, BR signaling is conveyed to the circadian oscillator via the BES1/TPL-CCA1/LHY module, contributing to gating diurnal BR responses in plants.