CmARF3-CmTCP7 module regulates flowering time in chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium)

Abstract

The precise timing of flowering in response to environment plays a crucial role in the reproductive processes of plants. The FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT)-FD module is a well-established key node in the photoperiod-mediated pathway. However, the identity of novel partners involved in this network and its regulatory mechanisms remain elusive in most nonmodel species. Here, we found that TEOSINTE BRANCHED1/CYCLOIDEA/PROLIFERATING CELL FACTOR7 (CmTCP7) functions as a floral repressor in Chrysanthemum morifolium. Its upstream transcriptional regulator AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR3 (CmARF3) promotes flowering by directly repressing CmTCP7 expression. The expression levels of both genes are short-day inducible. Interestingly, FLOWERING LOCUS T-like3 (CmFTL3) interacts with FD-like1 (CmFDL1), which activates flowering-accelerating gene Chrysanthemum Dendrathema MADS111-like (CmCDM111L). Meanwhile, CmTCP7 interacts with CmFTL3 and CmFDL1, delaying the CmFTL3 and CmFDL1 complex-promoted flowering in chrysanthemum “Jinba.” These findings reveal a novel regulatory module controlling photoperiod-dependent flowering in chrysanthemum.

Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Baoqing Ding from Nanjing Agricultural University for reading and revising the manuscript. We thank Dr. Yuehua Ma for guiding use of the confocal microscope (Zeiss, LSM800, Central Laboratory, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agriculture University, Nanjing, China). This work was supported by National Key R&D Program of China (2022YFF1003104), National Natural Science Foundation of China (31972451, 31930100), and a Project Funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, PAPD, China.

Author Contributions

S.C., F.C., and S.L. designed research; C.T., L.Z., J.W., W.Z., C.S., K.Z., and F.L. performed research; L.Z., J.J., A.S., and G.X. analyzed data; C.T., L.Z., and S.C. wrote and revised the paper. All authors discussed the results and commented on the manuscript.

Data availability

The data underlying this article are available in the article and in its online supplementary material.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Supplementary data

Supplementary data is available at Horticulture Research online.

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