An ethylene‐responsive transcription factor and a flowering locus KH domain homologue jointly modulate photoperiodic flowering in chrysanthemum. (3rd February 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Huang, Yaoyao; Xing, Xiaojuan; Tang, Yun; Jin, Jinyu; Ding, Lian; Song, Aiping; Chen, Sumei; Chen, Fadi; Jiang, Jiafu; Fang, Weimin
• Is Part Of: Plant, cell and environment. Volume 45:Number 5(2022)
• Page Start: 1442
• Page End: 1456
• Publication Date: 2022-02-03
• Subjects: circadian clock -- CmERF110 -- CmFLK; Plant physiology -- Periodicals; Plant cells and tissues -- Periodicals; Plant communities -- Periodicals; 581.105
• DOI: 10.1111/pce.14261
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0140-7791

Abstract

Abstract: The timely transition from vegetative to reproductive development is coordinated through the quantitative regulation of floral pathway genes in response to physiological and environmental cues. The function of ethylene‐responsive element‐binding protein (ERF) transcription factors in the regulation of flowering in chrysanthemum ( Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.) is not well understood. Here, chrysanthemum overexpressing CmERF110 flowered earlier than the wild‐type plants, while those in which CmERF110 was suppressed flowered later. RNA‐seq results revealed that several genes involved in the circadian rhythm were transcribed differently in CmERF110 transgenic plants from that of the wild‐type plants. The rhythm peak of the circadian clock genes in transgenic plants was delayed. Yeast two‐hybrid screening of CmERF110 interactors identified a chrysanthemum FLOWERING LOCUS KH DOMAIN (FLK) homologue CmFLK, which was further confirmed with both in vitro and in vivo assays. KEGG pathway enrichment also revealed that CmFLK is involved in the regulation of circadian rhythm‐related genes. CmFLK transgenic plants showed a change in flowering time and delayed rhythm peak of the circadian rhythm genes. Taken together, the present data not only suggest that CmERF110 interacts with CmFLK to promote floral transition by tuning the circadian clock, but also provides evidence for the evolutionary conservation of the components in the autonomous pathway in chrysanthemum. Summary Statement: The annual commercial production of chrysanthemum plants depends on elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of time to flowering, while the genes involved in the autonomous pathway remains obscure. Here, we find CmERF110 interacts with CmFLK, a homologue of the autonomous flowering pathway gene FLK, to accelerate flowering time by regulating the circadian clock in chrysanthemum.