Figure 1.

Experimental design for the suppression of the variegated phenotype. Seeds from im were germinated and allowed to grow at 25°C with an irradiance of 5 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹ (25/5) for 7 d. Plants were then shifted from an irradiance of 5 to 50 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹ (25/50) for 4 weeks. Once the first rosette appeared, the plants were then shifted to 150 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹ (25/150) for another 4 weeks until the second and third rosettes had completely developed. It is at this stage that fully expanded leaves were used for experimental analysis. Plants were then shifted from 25°C to 5°C for 3 d at an irradiance of 150 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹ (25/150) to cold stress the plants. Alternatively, when plants were shifted directly from 5 to 150 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹ after 7 d, im knockout plants exhibited a variegated phenotype when fully developed. All genotypes were grown with an 8/16-h day/night cycle.