Biotech Updates

Red Light-Mediated Degradation of CONSTANS Regulates Photoperiodic Flowering in Arabidopsis

October 21, 2015

The regulation of CONSTANS (CO) gene expression is crucial in measuring daylength in Arabidopsis thaliana. Previous studies have shown that the E3 ubiquitin ligase HIGH EXPRESSION OF OSMOTICALLY RESPONSIVE GENES1 (HOS1) protein physically interacts with CO protein in Arabidopsis to modulate the timing of CO accumulation and regulate the photoperiodic flowering in Arabidopsis.

Researchers from the Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria in Spain further studied that specific interaction. Analysis found that the HOS1 protein is involved in the red light-mediated degradation of CO that takes place in the early stages of the daylight. This degradation is a part of mechanism that regulates photoperiodic flowering.

Phytochrome B also physically interacts with both HOS1 and CO, indicating that the three proteins are required to coordinate a correct photoperiodic response in Arabidopsis.

To learn more about the study, read the article in The Plant Cell.