ELF3 coordinates temperature and photoperiodic control of seasonal growth in hybrid aspen

Abstract

Timely growth cessation before winter is crucial for the survival of perennial plants in temperate and boreal regions. Short photoperiod (SP) and low temperature (LT) are major seasonal cues regulating growth cessation. SP, sensed in the leaves, initiates growth cessation by downregulating FLOWERING LOCUS T 2 (FT2) expression, but how LT regulates seasonal growth is unclear. Genetic and cell biological approaches identified a hybrid aspen EARLY FLOWERING 3(ELF3) ortholog with a prion-like domain (PrLD) that undergoes LT-responsive phase separation as a key mediator of LT-induced growth cessation. In contrast with SP, LT acts independently of FT2 downregulation and targets the AIL1-BRC1 transcription factor network and hormonal pathways via ELF3 to induce growth cessation. Intriguingly, ELF3 also functions in SP-mediated growth cessation by down-regulating FT2 in leaves. Our work thus reveals a previously unrecognized role of ELF3 in growth cessation and in coordinating temperature and photoperiodic pathways to enable robust adaptation to seasonal change.

Published in

Current Biology
2025, volume: 35, number: 7
Publisher: CELL PRESS

SLU Authors

• Nair, Aswin

  • Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Prakash, Jay

  • Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • Banaras Hindu University

• Pandey, Shashank

  • Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Singh, Rajesh

  • Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

• Miskolczi, Pal Csaba

  • Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Aryal, Bibek

  • Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Bhalerao, Rishikesh P.

  • Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Forest Science

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.02.027

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/141653