AKR2A is involved in the flowering process of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Abstract

Flowering at an appropriate time is crucial for plant development and reproduction. In Arabidopsis, the flowering process is managed by a regulatory network composed of at least 6 independent pathways. As a core protein in flowering regulation, FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) participates in almost all these pathways. ANKYRIN REPEAT-CONTAINING PROTEIN 2A (AKR2A) was initially discovered as a 14-3-3-interacting protein. It was then found to be involved in the transportation of chloroplast outer membrane proteins and the resistance to low-temperature stress. Here, we identified an akr2a null mutant with a delayed flowering phenotype. Through the quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays, we demonstrated that AKR2A modulates the flowering process through its interaction with FT.