TEMPRANILLO is a direct repressor of the microRNA miR172.

In the age-dependent pathway, microRNA 156 (miR156) is essential for the correct timing of developmental transitions. miR156 negatively regulates several SPL genes, which promote the juvenile-to-adult and floral transitions in part through upregulation of miR172. The transcriptional repressors TEMPRANILLO1 (TEM1) and TEM2 delay flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana at least through direct repression of FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and gibberellin biosynthetic genes, and have also been reported to participate in the length of the juvenile phase. Levels of TEM mRNA and miR156 decrease gradually, allowing progression through developmental phases. Given these similarities, we hypothesized that TEMs and the miR156/SPL/miR172 module could act through a common genetic pathway. We analyzed the effect of TEMs on levels of miR156, SPL and miR172, tested binding of TEMs to these genes using chromatin immunoprecipitation and analyzed the genetic interaction between TEMs and miR172. We found that TEMs played a stronger role in the floral transition than in the juvenile-to-adult transition. TEM1 repressed MIR172A, MIR172B and MIR172C expressions and bound in vivo to at least MIR172C sequences. Genetic analyses indicated that TEMs affect the regulation of developmental timing through miR172.

The Role of Dissemination as a Fundamental Part of a Research Project.

Dissemination and communication of research should be considered as an integral part of any research project. Both help in increasing the visibility of research outputs, public engagement in science and innovation, and confidence of society in research. Effective dissemination and communication are vital to ensure that the conducted research has a social, political, or economical impact. They draw attention of governments and stakeholders to research results and conclusions, enhancing their visibility, comprehension, and implementation. In the European project SOPHIE (Evaluating the Impact of Structural Policies on Health Inequalities and Their Social Determinants and Fostering Change), dissemination was an essential component of the project in order to achieve the purpose of fostering policy change based on research findings. Here we provide our experience and make some recommendations based on our learning. A strong use of online communication (website, Twitter, and Slideshare accounts), the production of informative videos, the research partnership with civil society organizations, and the organization of final concluding scientific events, among other instruments, helped to reach a large public within the scientific community, civil society, and the policy making arena and to influence the public view on the impact on health and equity of certain policies.

SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE Up-Regulates TEMPRANILLO2 Floral Repressor at Low Ambient Temperatures.

Plants integrate day length and ambient temperature to determine the optimal timing for developmental transitions. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), the floral integrator FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and its closest homolog TWIN SISTER OF FT promote flowering in response to their activator CONSTANS under long-day inductive conditions. Low ambient temperature (16°C) delays flowering, even under inductive photoperiods, through repression of FT, revealing the importance of floral repressors acting at low temperatures. Previously, we have reported that the floral repressors TEMPRANILLO (TEM; TEM1 and TEM2) control flowering time through direct regulation of FT at 22°C. Here, we show that tem mutants are less sensitive than the wild type to changes in ambient growth temperature, indicating that TEM genes may play a role in floral repression at 16°C. Moreover, we have found that TEM2 directly represses the expression of FT and TWIN SISTER OF FT at 16°C. In addition, the floral repressor SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP) directly regulates TEM2 but not TEM1 expression at 16°C. Flowering time analyses of svp tem mutants indicate that TEM may act in the same genetic pathway as SVP to repress flowering at 22°C but that SVP and TEM are partially independent at 16°C. Thus, TEM2 partially mediates the temperature-dependent function of SVP at low temperatures. Taken together, our results indicate that TEM genes are also able to repress flowering at low ambient temperatures under inductive long-day conditions.

RAV genes: regulation of floral induction and beyond.

BACKGROUND: Transcription factors of the RAV (RELATED TO ABI3 AND VP1) family are plant-specific and possess two DNA-binding domains. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the family comprises six members, including TEMPRANILLO 1 (TEM1) and TEM2. Arabidopsis RAV1 and TEM1 have been shown to bind bipartite DNA sequences, with the consensus motif C(A/C/G)ACA(N)2-8(C/A/T)ACCTG. Through direct binding to DNA, RAV proteins act as transcriptional repressors, probably in complexes with other co-repressors. SCOPE AND CONCLUSIONS: In this review, a summary is given of current knowledge of the regulation and function of RAV genes in diverse plant species, paying particular attention to their roles in the control of flowering in arabidopsis. TEM1 and TEM2 delay flowering by repressing the production of two florigenic molecules, FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and gibberellins. In this way, TEM1 and TEM2 prevent precocious flowering and postpone floral induction until the plant has accumulated enough reserves or has reached a growth stage that ensures survival of the progeny. Recent results indicate that TEM1 and TEM2 are regulated by genes acting in several flowering pathways, suggesting that TEMs may integrate information from diverse pathways. However, flowering is not the only process controlled by RAV proteins. Family members are involved in other aspects of plant development, such as bud outgrowth in trees and leaf senescence, and possibly in general growth regulation. In addition, they respond to pathogen infections and abiotic stresses, including cold, dehydration, high salinity and osmotic stress.

"And yet it moves": cell-to-cell and long-distance signaling by plant microRNAs.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of numerous genes in many eukaryotes. Some plant miRNAs are involved in developmental and physiological processes that require intercellular or inter-organ signaling. Movement of other small RNAs within plants has been established. Recent findings also demonstrate intercellular signaling by miRNAs and strongly support that a subset of these regulatory molecules move from one cell to another or over long distances. Phloem exudates contain diverse miRNAs and at least two of them, involved in responses to nutrient availability, are transmitted through grafts, indicating long-distance movement. Two miRNAs that regulate developmental processes are present in cells outside their domains of expression. Several results strongly support that one of them moves from cell to cell. Research on a mutant affected in plasmodesmata trafficking indicates that these intercellular channels are required for transmission of miRNA activity to adjacent cells. Moreover, ARGONAUTE proteins might be involved in the regulation of miRNA trafficking. Hypothesis on the features and mechanisms that may determine miRNA mobility are presented. Future challenges include identifying other mobile miRNAs; demonstrating that miRNA movement is required for non-cell autonomous action; and characterizing the mechanisms of translocation and genetic pathways that regulate miRNA movement.