Arabidopsis defense component EDM2 affects the floral transition in an FLC-dependent manner

• Published in: The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology Vol. 62; no. 3; pp. 518 - 528
• Main Authors: Tsuchiya, Tokuji, Eulgem, Thomas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.05.2010; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Blackwell
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Arabidopsis; Arabidopsis - genetics; Arabidopsis - immunology; Arabidopsis - metabolism; Arabidopsis Proteins; Arabidopsis Proteins - genetics; Arabidopsis Proteins - metabolism; Arabidopsis thaliana; Biological and medical sciences; Biology and morphogenesis of the reproductive apparatus. Photoperiodism, vernalisation; Disease resistance; epistasis; Epistasis, Genetic; floral transition; FLOWERING LOCUS C; Flowers; Flowers - growth & development; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; genetics; growth & development; immunity; Immunity, Innate; immunology; MADS Domain Proteins; MADS Domain Proteins - metabolism; metabolism; Molecular Sequence Data; Plant diseases; plant immunity; Plant physiology and development; Plants, Genetically Modified; Plants, Genetically Modified - genetics; Plants, Genetically Modified - immunology; Plants, Genetically Modified - metabolism; protein kinases; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; protein-protein interaction; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases - metabolism; Proteins; Resistance to control; RNA, Plant; RNA, Plant - genetics; Transcription Factors; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Upstream; Vegetative and sexual reproduction, floral biology, fructification; WNK kinase; Vegetals; Enzyme; Transferases; Molecular interaction; Organism defense; Immunity; Floral transition; FLOWERING LOCUS C; Protein; WNK kinase; Arabidopsis thaliana; Plant; protein―protein interaction; Cruciferae; Kinase; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Flowering; Spermatophyta; Locus; plant immunity
• ISSN: 0960-7412; 1365-313X; 1365-313X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-313X.2010.04169.x

Arabidopsis thaliana EDM2 was previously shown to be specifically required for disease resistance mediated by the R protein RPP7. Here we provide additional data showing that the role of EDM2 in plant immunity is limited and does not include a function in basal defense. In addition, we found that EDM2 has a promoting effect on the floral transition. We further found that the protein kinase WNK8 physically interacts with EDM2 in the nucleus. Unlike EDM2, which serves as a substrate of this kinase, WNK8 appears not to be required for RPP7-mediated defense. As reported previously, however, WNK8 does affect flowering time. Epistasis analyses suggested that EDM2 acts upstream of the floral repressor FLC ( AT5G10140) and downstream of WNK8 (AT5G41990) in a regulatory module that resembles the autonomous floral promotion pathway, comprising a set of mechanisms that are known to affect the floral transition by regulating FLC transcript levels.