Growth habit determination by the balance of histone methylation activities in Arabidopsis |
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| Authors: | Jong‐Hyun Ko Irina Mitina Youbong Hyun Yeonhee Choi Richard M Amasino Bosl Noh Yoo‐Sun Noh |
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| Institution: | 1. School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea;2. Global Research Laboratory for Floral Regulatory Signaling, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea;3. Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA;4. Environmental Biotechnology National Core Research Center, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Korea |
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| Abstract: | In Arabidopsis, the rapid‐flowering summer‐annual versus the vernalization‐requiring winter‐annual growth habit is determined by natural variation in FRIGIDA (FRI) and FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). However, the biochemical basis of how FRI confers a winter‐annual habit remains elusive. Here, we show that FRI elevates FLC expression by enhancement of histone methyltransferase (HMT) activity. EARLY FLOWERING IN SHORT DAYS (EFS), which is essential for FRI function, is demonstrated to be a novel dual substrate (histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) and H3K36)‐specific HMT. FRI is recruited into FLC chromatin through EFS and in turn enhances EFS activity and engages additional HMTs. At FLC, the HMT activity of EFS is balanced by the H3K4/H3K36‐ and H3K4‐specific histone demethylase (HDM) activities of autonomous‐pathway components, RELATIVE OF EARLY FLOWERING 6 and FLOWERING LOCUS D, respectively. Loss of HDM activity in summer annuals results in dominant HMT activity, leading to conversion to a winter‐annual habit in the absence of FRI. Thus, our study provides a model of how growth habit is determined through the balance of the H3K4/H3K36‐specific HMT and HDM activities. |
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| Keywords: | FLC growth habit HDM HMT |
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