Abscisic Acid and Flowering Regulation: Many Targets, Different Places.

Damiano Martignago,Lucio Conti,Alessandra Lombardi,Beata Siemiatkowska

doi:10.3390/ijms21249700

Damiano Martignago, Lucio Conti + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21249700

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Abstract

Plants can react to drought stress by anticipating flowering, an adaptive strategy for plant survival in dry climates known as drought escape (DE). In Arabidopsis, the study of DE brought to surface the involvement of abscisic acid (ABA) in controlling the floral transition. A central question concerns how and in what spatial context can ABA signals affect the floral network. In the leaf, ABA signaling affects flowering genes responsible for the production of the main florigen FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT). At the shoot apex, FD and FD-like transcription factors interact with FT and FT-like proteins to regulate ABA responses. This knowledge will help separate general and specific roles of ABA signaling with potential benefits to both biology and agriculture.

Highlights

Plant hormone signaling pathways are highly interconnected to allow plants to finely adjust growth and development according to varying environmental stimuli derived from growth conditions, nutrient availability, biotic and abiotic stress [1]
This annual habit is conferred by two loci, the floral repressor FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), a MADS-box type transcription factors (TFs) and its upstream activator FRIGIDA (FRI) encoding a coiled-coil domain protein acting as transcriptional regulator and chromatin modifier [30]
FLC plays a major contribution in this process, as mutants of FLC do not display delayed flowering in response to water deficit under short-day conditions

Summary

Introduction

Plant hormone signaling pathways are highly interconnected to allow plants to finely adjust growth and development according to varying environmental stimuli derived from growth conditions, nutrient availability, biotic and abiotic stress [1]. In addition to the photoperiodic pathway, winter-annual accessions of Arabidopsis require the experience of cold to flower in the following spring, a process referred to as vernalization This annual habit is conferred by two loci, the floral repressor FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), a MADS-box type TF and its upstream activator FRIGIDA (FRI) encoding a coiled-coil domain protein acting as transcriptional regulator and chromatin modifier [30]. An increase in GAs cellular concentration triggers a signaling cascade that leads to DELLA ubiquitination and its proteasomal degradation, promoting TFs function For these reasons, the GA pathway, via control of DELLA levels, plays a key integrative role by modulating multiple floral inputs in different spatial contexts [38]

ABA Signaling and Its Multiple Connections with the Photoperiodic Pathway

ABA Signaling Integration through GIGANTEA

Role of FD and FD-Like bZIPs Protein Complexes in Modulating ABA Signaling

Molecular Insights into the ABA–Flowering Relationship in Crops