Jasmonates (JAs) are a class of important phytohormones that control multiple physiological aspects of plant development, growth, and defense. It remains unclear whether JA-activated transcription factors MYC2, MYC3, and MYC4 (MYC2/3/4), which are the most extensively studied components in the JA signaling pathway, play a regulatory role floral transition.
Prof. YU Diqiu and his team of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botancial Garden (XTBG) conducted a study to examine the role of MYC2/3/4 in floral transition.
The researchers firstly analyzed the flowering phenotypes of myc2 mutants, myc2/3, myc2/4, and myc3/4 double mutants, and a myc2/3/4 triple mutant. Under long day (LD) or short day (SD) conditions, myc2/3 and myc2/4 double mutants exhibited earlier-flowering phenotypes compared with the wildtype, indicating that MYC2 plays a more important role than MYC3/4 in regulating floral transition
In contrast, the flowering times of the myc2, myc3, myc4 single mutant and myc3/4 double mutant were comparable with that of wild-type plants.
Moreover, the myc2/3/4 triple mutant exhibited an earlier-flowering phenotype compared with myc2/3 and myc2/4 double mutants under both LD and SD conditions.
Their study provides compelling evidence showing that MYC2/ 3/4 redundantly modulate flowering under both LD and SD conditions.
The study showed that the myc2/3 and myc2/4 double mutants as well as the myc2/3/4 triple mutant all consistently exhibited early flowering phenotype under both LD and SD, indicating thatMYC2/3/4 are required for JA-mediated inhibition of flowering at least in growth conditions.
The study entitled “The bHLH Transcription Factors MYC2, MYC3, and MYC4 Are Required for Jasmonate-Mediated Inhibition of Flowering in Arabidopsis” has been published in Molecular Plant.
ContactYU Diqiu, Ph.D Principal Investigator
Key Laboratory of Tropical Plant Resources and Sustainable Use, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun 666303, Yunnan, China
E-mail: ydq@xtbg.ac.cn
Tel: +86 871 65178133
