Molecular Basis of Age-Dependent Vernalization in Cardamine flexuosa

作者：Chuan‐Miao Zhou, Tian‐Qi Zhang, Xi Wang, Sha Yu, Heng Lian, Hongbo Tang, Zhengyan Feng, Judita Zozomová‐Lihová, Jiawei Wang · 发表于：Science · 年份：2013 · DOI：10.1126/science.1234340 · 被引用次数：179 · 研究领域：Plant Molecular Biology Research、Plant Reproductive Biology、Plant Stress Responses and Tolerance

Plants flower in response to many varied cues, such as temperature, photoperiod, and age. The floral transition of Cardamine flexuosa, a herbaceous biennial-to-perennial plant, requires exposure to cold temperature, a treatment known as vernalization. C. flexuosa younger than 5 weeks old are not fully responsive to cold treatment. We demonstrate that the levels of two age-regulated microRNAs, miR156 and miR172, regulate the timing of sensitivity in response to vernalization. Age and vernalization pathways coordinately regulate flowering through modulating the expression of CfSOC1, a flower-promoting MADS-box gene. The related annual Arabidopsis thaliana, which has both vernalization and age pathways, does not possess an age-dependent vernalization response. Thus, the recruitment of age cue in response to environmental signals contributes to the evolution of life cycle in plants.