Abstract
Responses to environmental cues synchronize reproduction of higher plants to the changing seasons. The genetic basis of these responses has been intensively studied in the Brassicaceae. The MADS-domain transcription factor FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) plays a central role in the regulatory network that controls flowering of Arabidopsis thaliana in response to seasonal cues. FLC blocks flowering until its transcription is stably repressed by extended exposure to low temperatures in autumn or winter and, therefore, FLC activity is assumed to limit flowering to spring. Recent reviews describe the complex epigenetic mechanisms responsible for FLC repression in cold. We focus on the gene regulatory networks controlled by FLC and how they influence floral transition. Genome-wide approaches determined the in vivo target genes of FLC and identified those whose transcription changes during vernalization or in flc mutants. We describe how studying FLC targets such as FLOWERING LOCUS T, SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE 15, and TARGET OF FLC AND SVP 1 can explain different flowering behaviours in response to vernalization and other environmental cues, and help define mechanisms by which FLC represses gene transcription. Elucidating the gene regulatory networks controlled by FLC provides access to the developmental and physiological mechanisms that regulate floral transition.
Highlights
Many plant developmental programmes are responsive to environmental cues
We focus on the gene regulatory networks controlled by FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) and how they influence floral transition
We describe how studying FLC targets such as FLOWERING LOCUS T, SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE 15, and TARGET OF FLC AND SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP) 1 can explain different flowering behaviours in response to vernalization and other environmental cues, and help define mechanisms by which FLC represses gene transcription
Summary
Many plant developmental programmes are responsive to environmental cues This is evident in the characteristic seasonal patterns of flowering. Winter temperatures (vernalization) and daylength (photoperiod) provide two major floral induction cues (Andrés and Coupland, 2012) How these environmental signals regulate flowering has been studied extensively in the Brassicaceae, and, in this family, the MADS-domain transcription factor FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) plays a central role in conferring a response to vernalization (Michaels and Amasino, 1999; Sheldon et al, 1999). The transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of FLC and how these contribute to environmental responses have been reviewed in detail (Whittaker and Dean, 2017; Costa and Dean, 2019), but the downstream functions of FLC and how these provide further environmental and developmental check points on floral transition have received less attention. Similar to most MADS-domain transcription factors (de Folter et al, 2005), FLC binds DNA as heterodimers with other members of the family (Li et al, 2008; Gu et al, 2013) and, in considering its regulation of specific targets, it is important to assess the specificity of MADS-domain complexes that include FLC and the availability of partner proteins that might influence FLC function (Mateos et al, 2015)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
