Floral regulators FLC and SOC1 directly regulate expression of the B3-type transcription factor TARGET OF FLC AND SVP 1 at the Arabidopsis shoot apex via antagonistic chromatin modifications

PLoS Genet. 2019 Apr 4;15(4):e1008065. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008065. eCollection 2019 Apr.

Abstract

Integration of environmental and endogenous cues at plant shoot meristems determines the timing of flowering and reproductive development. The MADS box transcription factor FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) of Arabidopsis thaliana is an important repressor of floral transition, which blocks flowering until plants are exposed to winter cold. However, the target genes of FLC have not been thoroughly described, and our understanding of the mechanisms by which FLC represses transcription of these targets and how this repression is overcome during floral transition is still fragmentary. Here, we identify and characterize TARGET OF FLC AND SVP1 (TFS1), a novel target gene of FLC and its interacting protein SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP). TFS1 encodes a B3-type transcription factor, and we show that tfs1 mutants are later flowering than wild-type, particularly under short days. FLC and SVP repress TFS1 transcription leading to deposition of trimethylation of Iysine 27 of histone 3 (H3K27me3) by the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 at the TFS1 locus. During floral transition, after downregulation of FLC by cold, TFS1 transcription is promoted by SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS1 (SOC1), a MADS box protein encoded by another target of FLC/SVP. SOC1 opposes PRC function at TFS1 through recruitment of the histone demethylase RELATIVE OF EARLY FLOWERING 6 (REF6) and the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeler ATPase BRAHMA (BRM). This recruitment of BRM is also strictly required for SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE 9 (SPL9) binding at TFS1 to coordinate RNAPII recruitment through the Mediator complex. Thus, we show that antagonistic chromatin modifications mediated by different MADS box transcription factor complexes play a crucial role in defining the temporal and spatial patterns of transcription of genes within a network of interactions downstream of FLC/SVP during floral transition.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine Triphosphatases / genetics
  • Adenosine Triphosphatases / metabolism
  • Arabidopsis / genetics*
  • Arabidopsis / growth & development*
  • Arabidopsis / metabolism
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism
  • Chromatin / genetics
  • Chromatin / metabolism
  • Flowers / genetics
  • Flowers / growth & development
  • Flowers / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Genes, Plant
  • Histone Code / genetics
  • MADS Domain Proteins / genetics*
  • MADS Domain Proteins / metabolism
  • Meristem / genetics
  • Meristem / growth & development
  • Meristem / metabolism
  • Models, Biological
  • Plant Shoots / genetics
  • Plant Shoots / growth & development
  • Plant Shoots / metabolism
  • Plants, Genetically Modified
  • Polycomb Repressive Complex 2
  • Repressor Proteins / genetics
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism
  • Trans-Activators / genetics
  • Trans-Activators / metabolism
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • AGL20 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Chromatin
  • FLF protein, Arabidopsis
  • MADS Domain Proteins
  • PRC2 protein, Arabidopsis
  • REF6 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Repressor Proteins
  • SPL9 protein, Arabidopsis
  • SVP protein, Arabidopsis
  • Trans-Activators
  • Transcription Factors
  • Polycomb Repressive Complex 2
  • Adenosine Triphosphatases
  • BRM protein, Arabidopsis

Associated data

  • Dryad/10.5061/dryad.b0j2td6

Grants and funding

This work was funded by the following grants to G.C., N° 339113 HyLife European Research Council https://erc.europa.eu/, SPP1530 Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft http://www.dfg.de/en/ and a Core Grant from the Max Planck Society https://www.mpg.de/en. Also, AK and JLM were funded by post-doctoral fellowships from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation https://www.humboldt-foundation.de/web/home.html. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.