ELF3: a circadian safeguard to buffer effects of light

• Published in: Trends in plant science Vol. 7; no. 1; pp. 4 - 6
• Main Author: CARRE, Isabelle A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 2002; Elsevier
• Subjects: Arabidopsis; Arabidopsis - genetics; Arabidopsis - growth & development; Arabidopsis - radiation effects; Arabidopsis Proteins - genetics; Arabidopsis Proteins - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Carrier Proteins - genetics; Carrier Proteins - metabolism; Circadian Rhythm - physiology; circadian rhythms; Cryptochromes; Drosophila Proteins; Eye Proteins; Flavoproteins - physiology; flowering; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genes, Plant; Light; light signal transduction; Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes; Nuclear Proteins - genetics; Nuclear Proteins - physiology; photoperiodism; Photoreceptor Cells; Photoreceptor Cells, Invertebrate; Physical agents; Phytochrome - physiology; Phytochrome A; Phytochrome B; Plant physiology and development; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - physiology; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; Signal Transduction; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - physiology; Transcription, Genetic; Vegetative apparatus, growth and morphogenesis. Senescence; Plant Science; Arabidopsis; light signal transduction; photoperiodism; Development; Cell biology; flowering; circadian rhythms; Light effect; Photoreceptor; Photoperiod; Circadian rhythm; Gene expression; Arabidopsis thaliana; Signal transduction; Gene; Cruciferae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Spermatophyta; Experimental plant; Photoregulation; Nuclear protein
• ISSN: 1360-1385; 1878-4372
• DOI: 10.1016/S1360-1385(01)02184-7

The EARLY FLOWERING 3 ( ELF3) gene of Arabidopsis regulates plant morphology, flowering time and circadian rhythms. ELF3 was proposed to function as a modulator of light signal transduction downstream of phytochromes, and, perhaps, other photoreceptors. Recent work indicates that ELF3 encodes a novel nuclear protein that is expressed rhythmically and interacts with phytochrome B. How ELF3 mediates the circadian gating of light responses and regulates light input to the clock is the subject of discussion. Recent insights into the mechanisms by which the circadian-regulated nuclear protein ELF3 affects circadian timing and photomorphogenic development