A New Function for BRC1 in Axillary Buds: Suppression of Floral Identity

摘要

In many plants, the transition to flowering is characterized by a large change in plant architecture, including development of axillary buds. Although floral induction in the apical meristem is well studied (reviewed in Fornara et al., 2010), less is known regarding axillary bud differentiation. In Arabidopsis thaliana, BRANCHED1/TEOSINTE BRANCHED1-LIKE 1 (BRC1), a TCP transcription factor, integrates branching signals and negatively regulates axillary bud development (Aguilar-Martínez et al., 2007). FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and TWIN SISTER OF FT (TSF), known for their roles as floral pathway integrators, were recently reported to influence bud outgrowth (Hiraoka et al., 2013). Now, Niwa et al. (pages 1228–1242) report that BRC1 interacts with FT to suppress the floral transition in axillary buds.