A prion-related protein senses warmer temperature in plants
Thursday, August 27, 2020 - 12:42
in Biology & Nature
Many plants and trees flower in the spring when it gets warmer. How plants sense Scientists from the UK, France, Korea and Germany focused on a protein called EARLY FLOWERING3 (ELF3). ELF3 is a key part of the circadian clock and is necessary for plants to respond correctly to changes in temperature. In the model plant Arabidopsis (thale cress), ELF3 responds to temperature directly. In mild temperatures, it switches off genes during the night, and therefore slows down growth and flowering. When it gets warmer however, ELF3, no longer turns off its target genes. This effectively releases the brakes on growth and flowering, enabling cell expansion and flowering.