Deregulation of ζ-carotene desaturase in Arabidopsis and tomato exposes a unique carotenoid-derived redundant regulation of floral meristem identity and function

Ryan P. McQuinn, Julie Leroux, Julio Sierra, Lina Escobar-Tovar, Sarah Frusciante, E. Jean Finnegan, Gianfranco Diretto, Giovanni Giuliano, James J. Giovannoni, Patricia León*, Barry J. Pogson*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    4 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    A level of redundancy and interplay among the transcriptional regulators of floral development safeguards a plant's reproductive success and ensures crop production. In the present study, an additional layer of complexity in the regulation of floral meristem (FM) identity and flower development is elucidated linking carotenoid biosynthesis and metabolism to the regulation of determinate flowering. The accumulation and subsequent cleavage of a diverse array of ζ-carotenes in the chloroplast biogenesis 5 (clb5) mutant of Arabidopsis results in the reprogramming of meristematic gene regulatory networks establishing FM identity mirroring that of the FM identity master regulator, APETALA1 (AP1). The immediate transition to floral development in clb5 requires long photoperiods in a GIGANTEA-independent manner, whereas AP1 is essential for the floral organ development of clb5. The elucidation of this link between carotenoid metabolism and floral development translates to tomato exposing a regulation of FM identity redundant to and initiated by AP1 and proposed to be dependent on the E class floral initiation and organ identity regulator, SEPALLATA3 (SEP3).

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)783-804
    Number of pages22
    JournalPlant Journal
    Volume114
    Issue number4
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - May 2023

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