Plant Biology Spring Into Flower

Pamela J. Hines

Science, AAAS, Washington, DC 20005, USA.

In spring, plants respond to increasing day length and shifts in the spectrum of solar irradiance by releasing the flowering induction pathway, which includes expression of the gene encoding the protein FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT). Song et al. have now identified a trio of controls brought to bear on FT gene expression by the FKF1 (FLAVIN-BINDING, KELCH REPEAT, F-BOX 1) protein. FKF1 removes a repressor and also stabilizes the activating CONSTANS (CO) protein in the afternoons through a binding interaction enhanced by blue light—an increasing component of solar irradiation during spring. Then FKF1 itself helps to activate transcription of the CO gene. Thus, by removing the repressor and shoring up the activator, FKF1 sets flowering on its way.

Y. H. Song, R. W. Smith, B. J. To, A. J. Millar, T. Imaizumi, FKF1 conveys timing information for CONSTANS stabilization in photoperiodic flowering. Science 336, 1045–1049 (2012). [Abstract] [Full Text]

The editors suggest the following Related Resources on Science sites:

In Science Signaling

RESEARCH ARTICLES
Structural Biology
Structure of a Light-Activated LOV Protein Dimer That Regulates Transcription

Anand T. Vaidya, Chen-Hui Chen, Jay C. Dunlap, Jennifer J. Loros, and Brian R. Crane (2 August 2011)
Sci. Signal. 4 (184), ra50. [DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2001945]
 |  Editor's Summary »  |  Abstract »  |  Full Text »  |  PDF »  |  Supplementary Materials »

EDITORS' CHOICE
Molecular Biology
Blue Light Response

Pamela J. Hines (9 December 2008)
Sci. Signal. 1 (49), ec426. [DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.149ec426]
 |  Abstract »

PERSPECTIVES
STKE Perspectives
Phototropin Blue Light Receptors and Light-Induced Movement Responses in Plants

Chentao Lin (5 February 2002)
Sci. STKE 2002 (118), pe5. [DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.1182002pe5]
 |  Abstract »  |  Full Text »  |  PDF »