Low nitrogen conditions accelerate flowering by modulating the phosphorylation state of FLOWERING BHLH 4 in Arabidopsis.

ABSTRACT: Nitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient that affects multiple plant developmental processes, including flowering. As flowering requires resources to develop sink tissues for reproduction, nutrient availability is tightly linked to this process. Low N levels accelerate floral transition; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this response are not well understood. Here, we identify the FLOWERING BHLH 4 (FBH4) transcription factor as a key regulator of N-responsive flowering in Arabidopsis Low N-induced early flowering is compromised in fbh quadruple mutants. We found that FBH4 is a highly phosphorylated protein and that FBH4 phosphorylation levels decrease under low N conditions. In addition, decreased phosphorylation promotes FBH4 nuclear localization and transcriptional activation of

SUBMITTER: Sanagi M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8126780 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature