The phytochrome-interacting vascular plant one-zinc finger1 and VOZ2 redundantly regulate flowering in Arabidopsis

Plant Cell. 2012 Aug;24(8):3248-63. doi: 10.1105/tpc.112.101915. Epub 2012 Aug 17.

Abstract

The timing of the transition to flowering in plants is regulated by various environmental factors, including daylength and light quality. Although the red/far-red photoreceptor phytochrome B (phyB) represses flowering by indirectly regulating the expression of a key flowering regulator, FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT), the mechanism of phyB signaling for flowering is largely unknown. Here, we identified two Arabidopsis thaliana genes, VASCULAR PLANT ONE-ZINC FINGER1 (VOZ1) and VOZ2, which are highly conserved throughout land plant evolution, as phyB-interacting factors. voz1 voz2 double mutants, but neither single mutant, showed a late-flowering phenotype under long-day conditions, which indicated that VOZ1 and VOZ2 redundantly promote flowering. voz1 voz2 mutations suppressed the early-flowering phenotype of the phyB mutant, and FT expression was repressed in the voz1 voz2 mutant. Green fluorescent protein-VOZ2 signal was observed in the cytoplasm, and interaction of VOZ proteins with phyB was indicated to occur in the cytoplasm under far-red light. However, VOZ2 protein modified to localize constitutively in the nucleus promoted flowering. In addition, the stability of VOZ2 proteins in the nucleus was modulated by light quality in a phytochrome-dependent manner. We propose that partial translocation of VOZ proteins from the cytoplasm to the nucleus mediates the initial step of the phyB signal transduction pathway that regulates flowering.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Arabidopsis / metabolism*
  • Arabidopsis / physiology
  • Arabidopsis / radiation effects
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cell Nucleus / genetics
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • Cytoplasm / metabolism
  • Flowers / genetics
  • Flowers / metabolism
  • Flowers / physiology*
  • Flowers / radiation effects
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant*
  • Genes, Plant
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Light
  • Mutation
  • Phenotype
  • Phytochrome B / genetics
  • Phytochrome B / metabolism
  • Plant Leaves / genetics
  • Plant Leaves / metabolism
  • Plant Leaves / physiology
  • Plant Vascular Bundle / genetics
  • Plant Vascular Bundle / metabolism
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / genetics
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / metabolism
  • Plants, Genetically Modified / physiology
  • Protein Interaction Mapping
  • Protein Stability
  • Protein Transport
  • Proteolysis
  • Signal Transduction
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Zinc Fingers

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • FT protein, Arabidopsis
  • PHYB protein, Arabidopsis
  • Transcription Factors
  • VOZ1 protein, Arabidopsis
  • VOZ2 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Phytochrome B
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins