<scp>FLZ13</scp> interacts with <scp>FLC</scp> and <scp>ABI5</scp> to negatively regulate flowering time in Arabidopsis
Xibao Li, Minyi Lai, Kailin Li, Lianming Yang, Jun Liao, Yingmiao Gao, Wang Ying, Caiji Gao, Wenjin Shen, Ming Luo, Chao Yang
Abstract
The transition from vegetative to reproductive growth, known as flowering, is a critical developmental process in flowering plants to ensure reproductive success. This process is strictly controlled by various internal and external cues; however, the underlying molecular regulatory mechanisms need to be further characterized. Here, we report a plant-specific protein, FCS-LIKE ZINC FINGER PROTEIN 13 (FLZ13), which functions as a hitherto unknown negative modulator of flowering time in Arabidopsis thaliana. Biochemical analysis showed that FLZ13 directly interacts with FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), a major flowering repressor, and that FLZ13 largely depends on FLC to repress the transcription of two core flowering integrators: FLOWERING LOCUS T and SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1. In addition, FLZ13 works together with ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 5 to activate FLC expression to delay flowering. Taken together, our findings suggest that FLZ13 is an important component of the gene regulatory network for flowering time control in plants.