ABI4 regulates the floral transition independently of ABI5 and ABI3.

ABSTRACT

Emerging evidence suggests that the stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA) is also involved in the floral transition control. The transcription factors ABA INSENSITIVE4 (ABI4) and ABI5 negatively regulate flowering by directly promoting FLOWERING LOCUS C expression, and ABI3 also negatively regulates the floral transition. However, the genetic relationships between ABI4 and both ABI5 and ABI3 remain elusive. Here, we generated transgenic plants overexpressing ABI4 in the abi5 (OE-ABI4abi5) and abi3 backgrounds (OE-ABI4abi3). The flowering phenotypic analysis demonstrated that OE-ABI4abi5 and OE-ABI4abi3 plants exhibited delayed flowering. These findings suggest that ABI4 independently regulates floral transition but not through ABI5 and ABI3 cascades.