Back to Search Start Over

Time to flower: interplay between photoperiod and the circadian clock

Authors :
Mikael Johansson
Dorothee Staiger
Source :
Journal of Experimental Botany. 66:719-730
Publication Year :
2014
Publisher :
Oxford University Press (OUP), 2014.

Abstract

Plants precisely time the onset of flowering to ensure reproductive success. A major factor in seasonal control of flowering time is the photoperiod. The length of the daily light period is measured by the circadian clock in leaves, and a signal is conveyed to the shoot apex to initiate floral transition accordingly. In the last two decades, the molecular players in the photoperiodic pathway have been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana. Moreover, the intricate connections between the circadian clockwork and components of the photoperiodic pathway have been unravelled. In particular, the molecular basis of time-of-day-dependent sensitivity to floral stimuli, as predicted by Bünning and Pittendrigh, has been elucidated. This review covers recent insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying clock regulation of photoperiodic responses and the integration of the photoperiodic pathway into the flowering time network in Arabidopsis. Furthermore, examples of conservation and divergence in photoperiodic flower induction in other plant species are discussed.

Details

ISSN :
14602431 and 00220957
Volume :
66
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Journal of Experimental Botany
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....86dbe301583193d7948a3b9b942fcbe6
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/eru441