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Mini Review
14-3-3 Proteins, red light, and photoperiodic flowering: A point of connection?
Anna-Lisa Paul, Kevin M. Folta and Robert J. Ferl
Volume 3, Issue 8august 2008
Pages: 511 - 515
This is an open-access article
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The 14-3-3 family of proteins is well known for participating in signal transduction by binding specifically phosphorylated proteins, thereby completing their kinase-induced transition in activity or localization. This interaction-based modulation of signal flux through metabolic pathways is a critical feature of many important eukaryotic signal transduction cascades. Only recently, however, have studies in Arabidopsis thaliana described that some of the most fundamental plant signal transduction pathways, including the photoperiodic flowering pathway, are functionally affected by 14-3-3s. There are pivotal points in the photoperiod pathway that are characterized by the accumulation, localization and stability of critical protein factors, all of which are strongly affected by light quality and photoperiod duration. These mechanisms (localization, phosphorylation, regulated proteolysis) are the same as those regulated by 14-3-3 proteins in other systems. Yet it is only recently that well characterized 14-3-3 genetic tools have become available in sufficient diversity to make it possible to truly tie 14-3-3 interactions to light signaling and flowering. This review presents an overview of photoperiodic flowering signaling and direct 14-3-3 participation in the process, coupled with a discussion of the overlapping and specific roles of 14-3-3s which present confounding issues in the functional dissection of this family of signaling proteins.
Authors
Anna-Lisa Paul
Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program and Horticultural Sciences Department; University of Florida; Gainesville, Florida USA
Kevin M. Folta
Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program and Horticultural Sciences Department; University of Florida; Gainesville, Florida USA
Robert J. Ferl
Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program and Horticultural Sciences Department; University of Florida; Gainesville, Florida USA
This is an open-access article
Download PDFIf the document does not open, please right-click on the link (control-click on a Macintosh) and select the option to save the file to disk.
