Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea.
Plant J. 2012 Feb;69(4):577-88. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-313X.2011.04813.x. Epub 2011 Nov 16.
miR156 and its target SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE (SPL) genes constitute an endogenous flowering pathway in Arabidopsis. The SPL genes are regulated post-transcriptionally by miR156, and incorporate endogenous aging signals into floral gene networks. Intriguingly, the SPL genes are also regulated transcriptionally by FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT)-mediated photoperiod signals. However, it is unknown how photoperiod regulates the SPL genes. Here, we show that SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1 (SOC1) and FT regulate the SPL3, SPL4 and SPL5 genes by directly binding to the gene promoters in response to photoperiod signals. Notably, the SOC1 regulation of the SPL genes, termed the SOC1-SPL module, also mediates gibberellic acid (GA) signals to promote flowering under non-inductive short days (SDs). Under SDs, the inductive effects of GA on the SPL genes disappeared in the soc1-2 mutant, and the flowering of SPL3-overexpressing transgenic plants (35S:SPL3) was less sensitive to GA. In addition, the 35S:SPL3 × soc1-2 plants flowered much earlier than the soc1-2 mutant, supporting SOC1 regulation of the SPL genes. Our observations indicate that the SOC1-SPL module serves as a molecular link that integrates photoperiod and GA signals to promote flowering in Arabidopsis.
miR156 及其靶基因 SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE (SPL) 构成了拟南芥中内源性开花途径。SPL 基因通过 miR156 进行转录后调控,并将内源性衰老信号整合到花基因网络中。有趣的是,SPL 基因也受到 FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) 介导的光周期信号的转录调控。然而,光周期如何调节 SPL 基因尚不清楚。在这里,我们表明 SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1 (SOC1) 和 FT 通过直接结合基因启动子响应光周期信号来调节 SPL3、SPL4 和 SPL5 基因。值得注意的是,SOC1 对 SPL 基因的调控,称为 SOC1-SPL 模块,也介导赤霉素 (GA) 信号在非诱导短日照 (SD) 下促进开花。在 SD 下,GA 对 SPL 基因的诱导作用在 soc1-2 突变体中消失,而过表达 SPL3 的转基因植物 (35S:SPL3) 对 GA 的开花反应性降低。此外,35S:SPL3 × soc1-2 植物的开花时间比 soc1-2 突变体早得多,这支持了 SOC1 对 SPL 基因的调控。我们的观察表明,SOC1-SPL 模块作为一种分子连接,整合光周期和 GA 信号,促进拟南芥开花。