ScholarWorks@성균관대학교

초록

Temperature is a key environmental cue that profoundly influences flowering time in plants. Plants integrate temperature signals with endogenous genetic pathways to ensure reproductive success. Central to this process is the transcriptional regulation of key flowering genes such as FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). In this review, we highlight three major transcriptional pathways underlying temperature-dependent flowering regulation in Arabidopsis: ambient temperature control mediated by the FLOWERING LOCUS M (FLM)–SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP) repressor complex, integration of ambient temperature signals into FT activation, and the vernalization flowering pathway. We discuss how temperature-dependent alternative splicing of FLM modulates SVP activity, how transcriptional activators PHYTOCHOMRE INTERACTING FACTOR 4 (PIF4) and CONSTANS (CO) transmits temperature signals to FT under the control of the Evening Complex, and how prolonged cold exposure leads to a stable FLC repression. Together, this review integrates current understanding of transcriptional networks governing temperature-responsive flowering, emphasizing how plants decode temperature information at the molecular level. A comprehensive understanding of these mechanisms not only sheds light on plant adaptation to temperature fluctuations but also provides strategies for breeding crops with enhanced resilience to global warming.

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