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Orchestration of Floral Initiation by APETALA1

2010; American Association for the Advancement of Science; Volume: 328; Issue: 5974 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1126/science.1185244

1095-9203

Kerstin Kaufmann, Frank Wellmer, José M. Muiño, Thilia Ferrier, Samuel E. Wuest, Vijaya B. Kumar, Antonio Serrano-Mislata, Francisco Madueño, Paweł Krajewski, Elliot M. Meyerowitz, Gerco C. Angenent, José Luis Riechmann,

Plant Gene Expression Analysis

The MADS-domain transcription factor APETALA1 (AP1) is a key regulator of Arabidopsis flower development. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying AP1 function, we identified its target genes during floral initiation using a combination of gene expression profiling and genome-wide binding studies. Many of its targets encode transcriptional regulators, including known floral repressors. The latter genes are down-regulated by AP1, suggesting that it initiates floral development by abrogating the inhibitory effects of these genes. Although AP1 acts predominantly as a transcriptional repressor during the earliest stages of flower development, at more advanced stages it also activates regulatory genes required for floral organ formation, indicating a dynamic mode of action. Our results further imply that AP1 orchestrates floral initiation by integrating growth, patterning, and hormonal pathways.