CONSTANS, a HUB for all seasons: How photoperiod pervades plant physiology regulatory circuits

Author(s)

Romero, Jose M. ; Serrano-Bueno, Gloria ; Camacho-Fernandez, Carolina ; Vicente, Mateus Henrique ; Ruiz, M. Teresa ; Perez-Castineira, J. Roman ; Perez-Hormaeche, Javier ; Nogueira, Fabio T. S. ; Valverde, Federico

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: PLANT CELL; v. 36, n. 6, p. 17-pg., 2024-03-21.

Abstract

How does a plant detect the changing seasons and make important developmental decisions accordingly? How do they incorporate daylength information into their routine physiological processes? Photoperiodism, or the capacity to measure the daylength, is a crucial aspect of plant development that helps plants determine the best time of the year to make vital decisions, such as flowering. The protein CONSTANS (CO) constitutes the central regulator of this sensing mechanism, not only activating florigen production in the leaves but also participating in many physiological aspects in which seasonality is important. Recent discoveries place CO in the center of a gene network that can determine the length of the day and confer seasonal input to aspects of plant development and physiology as important as senescence, seed size, or circadian rhythms. In this review, we discuss the importance of CO protein structure, function, and evolutionary mechanisms that embryophytes have developed to incorporate annual information into their physiology. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 19/20157-8 - Evaluation of possible interactions between photoperiodic, age and gibereline flowering pathway with SP/SFT module and its impacts on tomato architecture (Solanum lycopersicum L.)
• Grantee: Mateus Henrique Vicente
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral