Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Plant Cell logoLink to The Plant Cell
. 1997 Nov;9(11):1921–1934. doi: 10.1105/tpc.9.11.1921

Different roles of flowering-time genes in the activation of floral initiation genes in Arabidopsis.

L Ruiz-García 1, F Madueño 1, M Wilkinson 1, G Haughn 1, J Salinas 1, J M Martínez-Zapater 1
PMCID: PMC157047  PMID: 9401118

Abstract

We have analyzed double mutants that combine late-flowering mutations at four flowering-time loci (FVE, FPA, FWA, and FT) with mutations at the LEAFY (LFY), APETALA1 (AP1), and TERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1) loci involved in the floral initiation process (FLIP). Double mutants between ft-1 or fwa-1 and lfy-6 completely lack flowerlike structures, indicating that both FWA and FT act redundantly with LFY to control AP1. Moreover, the phenotypes of ft-1 ap1-1 and fwa-1 ap1-1 double mutants are reminiscent of the phenotype of ap1-1 cal-1 double mutants, suggesting that FWA and FT could also be involved in the control of other FLIP genes. Such extreme phenotypes were not observed in double mutants between fve-2 or fpa-1 and lfy-6 ap1-1. Each of these showed a phenotype similar to that of ap1-1 or lfy-6 mutants grown under noninductive photoperiods, suggesting a redundant interaction with FLIP genes. Finally, the phenotype of double mutants combining the late-flowering mutations with tfl1-2 were also consistent with the different roles of flowering-time genes.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (3.0 MB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Benoist C., Mathis D. Cell death mediators in autoimmune diabetes--no shortage of suspects. Cell. 1997 Apr 4;89(1):1–3. doi: 10.1016/s0092-8674(00)80174-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bradley D., Ratcliffe O., Vincent C., Carpenter R., Coen E. Inflorescence commitment and architecture in Arabidopsis. Science. 1997 Jan 3;275(5296):80–83. doi: 10.1126/science.275.5296.80. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Coupland G. Genetic and environmental control of flowering time in Arabidopsis. Trends Genet. 1995 Oct;11(10):393–397. doi: 10.1016/s0168-9525(00)89122-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Huala E., Sussex I. M. LEAFY Interacts with Floral Homeotic Genes to Regulate Arabidopsis Floral Development. Plant Cell. 1992 Aug;4(8):901–913. doi: 10.1105/tpc.4.8.901. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Ingram G. C., Goodrich J., Wilkinson M. D., Simon R., Haughn G. W., Coen E. S. Parallels between UNUSUAL FLORAL ORGANS and FIMBRIATA, genes controlling flower development in Arabidopsis and Antirrhinum. Plant Cell. 1995 Sep;7(9):1501–1510. doi: 10.1105/tpc.7.9.1501. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Irish V. F., Sussex I. M. Function of the apetala-1 gene during Arabidopsis floral development. Plant Cell. 1990 Aug;2(8):741–753. doi: 10.1105/tpc.2.8.741. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Jarillo J. A., Leyva A., Salinas J., Martinez-Zapater J. M. Low Temperature Induces the Accumulation of Alcohol Dehydrogenase mRNA in Arabidopsis thaliana, a Chilling-Tolerant Plant. Plant Physiol. 1993 Mar;101(3):833–837. doi: 10.1104/pp.101.3.833. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Jofuku K. D., den Boer B. G., Van Montagu M., Okamuro J. K. Control of Arabidopsis flower and seed development by the homeotic gene APETALA2. Plant Cell. 1994 Sep;6(9):1211–1225. doi: 10.1105/tpc.6.9.1211. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kunst L., Klenz J. E., Martinez-Zapater J., Haughn G. W. AP2 Gene Determines the Identity of Perianth Organs in Flowers of Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Cell. 1989 Dec;1(12):1195–1208. doi: 10.1105/tpc.1.12.1195. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lee I., Aukerman M. J., Gore S. L., Lohman K. N., Michaels S. D., Weaver L. M., John M. C., Feldmann K. A., Amasino R. M. Isolation of LUMINIDEPENDENS: a gene involved in the control of flowering time in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell. 1994 Jan;6(1):75–83. doi: 10.1105/tpc.6.1.75. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lee I., Wolfe D. S., Nilsson O., Weigel D. A LEAFY co-regulator encoded by UNUSUAL FLORAL ORGANS. Curr Biol. 1997 Feb 1;7(2):95–104. doi: 10.1016/s0960-9822(06)00053-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Levin J. Z., Meyerowitz E. M. UFO: an Arabidopsis gene involved in both floral meristem and floral organ development. Plant Cell. 1995 May;7(5):529–548. doi: 10.1105/tpc.7.5.529. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Mandel M. A., Gustafson-Brown C., Savidge B., Yanofsky M. F. Molecular characterization of the Arabidopsis floral homeotic gene APETALA1. Nature. 1992 Nov 19;360(6401):273–277. doi: 10.1038/360273a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Mandel M. A., Yanofsky M. F. A gene triggering flower formation in Arabidopsis. Nature. 1995 Oct 12;377(6549):522–524. doi: 10.1038/377522a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Martinez-Zapater J. M., Somerville C. R. Effect of Light Quality and Vernalization on Late-Flowering Mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Physiol. 1990 Mar;92(3):770–776. doi: 10.1104/pp.92.3.770. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Medford J. I., Behringer F. J., Callos J. D., Feldmann K. A. Normal and Abnormal Development in the Arabidopsis Vegetative Shoot Apex. Plant Cell. 1992 Jun;4(6):631–643. doi: 10.1105/tpc.4.6.631. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Okamuro J. K., Szeto W., Lotys-Prass C., Jofuku K. D. Photo and hormonal control of meristem identity in the Arabidopsis flower mutants apetala2 and apetala1. Plant Cell. 1997 Jan;9(1):37–47. doi: 10.1105/tpc.9.1.37. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Okamuro J. K., den Boer B. G., Jofuku K. D. Regulation of Arabidopsis flower development. Plant Cell. 1993 Oct;5(10):1183–1193. doi: 10.1105/tpc.5.10.1183. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Okamuro J. K., den Boer B. G., Lotys-Prass C., Szeto W., Jofuku K. D. Flowers into shoots: photo and hormonal control of a meristem identity switch in Arabidopsis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1996 Nov 26;93(24):13831–13836. doi: 10.1073/pnas.93.24.13831. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Putterill J., Robson F., Lee K., Simon R., Coupland G. The CONSTANS gene of Arabidopsis promotes flowering and encodes a protein showing similarities to zinc finger transcription factors. Cell. 1995 Mar 24;80(6):847–857. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(95)90288-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Schultz E. A., Haughn G. W. LEAFY, a Homeotic Gene That Regulates Inflorescence Development in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell. 1991 Aug;3(8):771–781. doi: 10.1105/tpc.3.8.771. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Shannon S., Meeks-Wagner D. R. A Mutation in the Arabidopsis TFL1 Gene Affects Inflorescence Meristem Development. Plant Cell. 1991 Sep;3(9):877–892. doi: 10.1105/tpc.3.9.877. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Shannon S., Meeks-Wagner D. R. Genetic Interactions That Regulate Inflorescence Development in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell. 1993 Jun;5(6):639–655. doi: 10.1105/tpc.5.6.639. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Simon R., Igeño M. I., Coupland G. Activation of floral meristem identity genes in Arabidopsis. Nature. 1996 Nov 7;384(6604):59–62. doi: 10.1038/384059a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Sung Z. R., Belachew A., Shunong B., Bertrand-Garcia R. EMF, an Arabidopsis Gene Required for Vegetative Shoot Development. Science. 1992 Dec 4;258(5088):1645–1647. doi: 10.1126/science.258.5088.1645. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Telfer A., Bollman K. M., Poethig R. S. Phase change and the regulation of trichome distribution in Arabidopsis thaliana. Development. 1997 Feb;124(3):645–654. doi: 10.1242/dev.124.3.645. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Weigel D., Alvarez J., Smyth D. R., Yanofsky M. F., Meyerowitz E. M. LEAFY controls floral meristem identity in Arabidopsis. Cell. 1992 May 29;69(5):843–859. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(92)90295-n. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Weigel D., Meyerowitz E. M. Activation of floral homeotic genes in Arabidopsis. Science. 1993 Sep 24;261(5129):1723–1726. doi: 10.1126/science.261.5129.1723. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Weigel D., Nilsson O. A developmental switch sufficient for flower initiation in diverse plants. Nature. 1995 Oct 12;377(6549):495–500. doi: 10.1038/377495a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Wilkinson M. D., Haughn G. W. UNUSUAL FLORAL ORGANS Controls Meristem Identity and Organ Primordia Fate in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell. 1995 Sep;7(9):1485–1499. doi: 10.1105/tpc.7.9.1485. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Zagotta M. T., Hicks K. A., Jacobs C. I., Young J. C., Hangarter R. P., Meeks-Wagner D. R. The Arabidopsis ELF3 gene regulates vegetative photomorphogenesis and the photoperiodic induction of flowering. Plant J. 1996 Oct;10(4):691–702. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-313x.1996.10040691.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Plant Cell are provided here courtesy of Oxford University Press

RESOURCES