Gh. Cardon et al., FUNCTIONAL-ANALYSIS OF THE ARABIDOPSIS-THALIANA SBP-BOX GENE SPL3 - ANOVEL GENE INVOLVED IN THE FLORAL TRANSITION, Plant journal, 12(2), 1997, pp. 367-377
The isolation and initial characterization of the Arabidopsis thaliana
SPL3 gene are described. SPL3 belongs to a gene family encoding putat
ive transcription factors characterized by a conserved DNA binding dom
ain, the SEP domain. SPL3 transcription is developmentally regulated a
nd is localized mainly in vegetative and inflorescence apical meristem
s, floral meristems and in leaf and floral organ primordia. SPL3 recog
nizes a conserved sequence motif in the promoter region of the A. thal
iana floral meristem identity gene AP1. Similarly to API, constitutive
expression of SPL3 results in early flowering. However, constitutive
expression of SPL3 in an apl mutant background showed that API is not
required for the early flowering phenotype of the SPL3 transgenic plan
ts. The function of SPL3 during flowering as well as its possible func
tional redundancy are discussed.