Kudoh Hiroshi
Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Hirano 2-509-3, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2113, Japan.
New Phytol. 2016 Apr;210(2):399-412. doi: 10.1111/nph.13733. Epub 2015 Nov 2.
Phenology refers to the study of seasonal schedules of organisms. Molecular phenology is defined here as the study of the seasonal patterns of organisms captured by molecular biology techniques. The history of molecular phenology is reviewed briefly in relation to advances in the quantification technology of gene expression. High-resolution molecular phenology (HMP) data have enabled us to study phenology with an approach of in natura systems biology. I review recent analyses of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), a temperature-responsive repressor of flowering, along the six steps in the typical flow of in natura systems biology. The extensive studies of the regulation of FLC have made this example a successful case in which a comprehensive understanding of gene functions has been progressing. The FLC-mediated long-term memory of past temperatures creates time lags with other seasonal signals, such as photoperiod and short-term temperature. Major signals that control flowering time have a phase lag between them under natural conditions, and hypothetical phase lag calendars are proposed as mechanisms of season detection in plants. Transcriptomic HMP brings a novel strategy to the study of molecular phenology, because it provides a comprehensive representation of plant functions. I discuss future perspectives of molecular phenology from the standpoints of molecular biology, evolutionary biology and ecology.
物候学是指对生物体季节性时间表的研究。本文将分子物候学定义为利用分子生物学技术对生物体季节性模式的研究。结合基因表达定量技术的进展，简要回顾了分子物候学的历史。高分辨率分子物候学（HMP）数据使我们能够采用自然系统生物学的方法来研究物候学。我将沿着自然系统生物学的典型流程中的六个步骤，回顾最近对开花位点C（FLC）的分析，FLC是一种对温度敏感的开花抑制因子。对FLC调控的广泛研究使这个例子成为一个成功的案例，在这个案例中，对基因功能的全面理解一直在不断推进。FLC介导的对过去温度的长期记忆与其他季节性信号（如光周期和短期温度）产生了时间滞后。在自然条件下，控制开花时间的主要信号之间存在相位滞后，并且提出了假设的相位滞后日历作为植物季节检测的机制。转录组学HMP为分子物候学研究带来了一种新策略，因为它提供了植物功能的全面表征。我将从分子生物学、进化生物学和生态学的角度讨论分子物候学的未来前景。
