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Review article2024Peer reviewedOpen access

Flowering time genes branching out

Colleoni, Pierangela E.; van Es, Sam W.; Winkelmolen, Ton; Immink, Richard G. H.; van Esse, G. Wilma

Abstract

Plants are sessile by nature, and as such they have evolved to sense changes in seasonality and their surrounding environment, and adapt to these changes. One prime example of this is the regulation of flowering time in angiosperms, which is precisely timed by the coordinated action of two proteins: FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL1). Both of these regulators are members of the PHOSPHATIDYLETHANOLAMINE BINDING PROTEIN (PEBP) family of proteins. These regulatory proteins do not interact with DNA themselves, but instead interact with transcriptional regulators, such as FLOWERING LOCUS D (FD). FT and TFL1 were initially identified as key regulators of flowering time, acting through binding with FD; however, PEBP family members are also involved in shaping plant architecture and development. In addition, PEBPs can interact with TCP transcriptional regulators, such as TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1 (TB1), a well-known regulator of plant architecture, and key domestication-related genes in many crops. Here, we review the role of PEBPs in flowering time, plant architecture, and development. As these are also key yield-related traits, we highlight examples from the model plant Arabidopsis as well as important food and feed crops such as, rice, barley, wheat, tomato, and potato.FT/TFL1-like genes control flowering time, plant architecture, and development through interplay with bZIP and TCP transcriptional regulators. This review highlights the multifaceted role of FT/TFL1-like genes in plant architecture and development.

Keywords

Architecture; branching; flowering; FLOWERING LOCUS T; TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1; transcription factors

Published in

Journal of Experimental Botany
2024, volume: 75, number: 14, pages: 4195–4209
Publisher: OXFORD UNIV PRESS

SLU Authors

UKÄ Subject classification

Botany

Publication identifier

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erae112

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/129414