FIONA1 is essential for regulating period length in the Arabidopsis circadian clock

Plant Cell. 2008 Feb;20(2):307-19. doi: 10.1105/tpc.107.055715. Epub 2008 Feb 15.

Abstract

In plants, the circadian clock controls daily physiological cycles as well as daylength-dependent developmental processes such as photoperiodic flowering and seedling growth. Here, we report that FIONA1 (FIO1) is a genetic regulator of period length in the Arabidopsis thaliana circadian clock. FIO1 was identified by screening for a mutation in daylength-dependent flowering. The mutation designated fio1-1 also affects daylength-dependent seedling growth. fio1-1 causes lengthening of the free-running circadian period of leaf movement and the transcription of various genes, including the central oscillators CIRCADIAN CLOCK-ASSOCIATED1, LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL, TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION1, and LUX ARRHYTHMO. However, period lengthening is not dependent upon environmental light or temperature conditions, which suggests that FIO1 is not a simple input component of the circadian system. Interestingly, fio1-1 exerts a clear effect on the period length of circadian rhythm but has little effect on its amplitude and robustness. FIO1 encodes a novel nuclear protein that is highly conserved throughout the kingdoms. We propose that FIO1 regulates period length in the Arabidopsis circadian clock in a close association with the central oscillator and that the circadian period can be controlled separately from amplitude and robustness.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Arabidopsis / growth & development
  • Arabidopsis / metabolism*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism*
  • Circadian Rhythm / physiology*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Flowers / genetics
  • Flowers / growth & development
  • Flowers / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Hypocotyl / genetics
  • Hypocotyl / growth & development
  • Hypocotyl / metabolism
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • Plants, Genetically Modified
  • Temperature
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • CONSTANS protein, Arabidopsis
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • FIONA1 protein, Arabidopsis
  • Transcription Factors