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Core clock genes adjust growth cessation time to day-night switches in poplar.

Authors :
Alique, Daniel
Redondo López, Arturo
González Schain, Nahuel
Allona, Isabel
Wabnik, Krzysztof
Perales, Mariano
Source :
Nature Communications; 2/27/2024, Vol. 15 Issue 1, p1-9, 9p
Publication Year :
2024

Abstract

Poplar trees use photoperiod as a precise seasonal indicator, synchronizing plant phenology with the environment. Daylength cue determines FLOWERING LOCUS T 2 (FT2) daily expression, crucial for shoot apex development and establishment of the annual growing period. However, limited evidence exists for the molecular factors controlling FT2 transcription and the conservation with the photoperiodic control of Arabidopsis flowering. We demonstrate that FT2 expression mediates growth cessation response quantitatively, and we provide a minimal data-driven model linking core clock genes to FT2 daily levels. GIGANTEA (GI) emerges as a critical inducer of the FT2 activation window, time-bound by TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION (TOC1) and LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL (LHY2) repressions. CRISPR/Cas9 loss-of-function lines validate these roles, identifying TOC1 as a long-sought FT2 repressor. Additionally, model simulations predict that FT2 downregulation upon daylength shortening results from a progressive narrowing of this activation window, driven by the phase shift observed in the preceding clock genes. This circadian-mediated mechanism enables poplar to exploit FT2 levels as an accurate daylength-meter. Alique et al. show that poplar trees adjust their seasonal growth timing by finely tuning the daily expression level of the photoperiodic integrator FT2 through a mechanism governed by the circadian clock's core genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20411723
Volume :
15
Issue :
1
Database :
Complementary Index
Journal :
Nature Communications
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
175797715
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46081-6