# ZmARF16 Regulates ZCN12 to Promote the Accumulation of Florigen and Accelerate Flowering

## TL;DR

This study shows how a gene called ZmARF16 helps plants flower faster by boosting florigen levels in maize.

## Contribution

The study identifies a novel regulatory module (ZmARF16-ZCN12) that links auxin signaling to florigen accumulation and flowering.

## Key findings

- ZmARF16 expression increases during flowering and accelerates flowering in maize and Arabidopsis.
- ZmARF16 activates ZCN12 transcription, which is involved in florigen accumulation and flowering.
- ZCN12 rescues the late-flowering phenotype in Arabidopsis FT mutants.

## Abstract

Auxin response factors(ARFs) are a class of transcription factors that regulate the expression of auxin response genes and play a crucial role in plant growth and development. Florigen plays a crucial role in the process of flowering. However, the process by which auxin regulates the accumulation of florigen remains largely unclear. This study found that the expression of ZmARF16 in maize increases during flowering, and the genetic transformation of ZmARF16 accelerates the flowering process in Arabidopsis and maize. Furthermore, ZmARF16 was found to be positively correlated with the transcription of the ZCN12 gene. Similarly, the FT-like gene ZCN12 in maize rescues the late flowering phenotype of the FT mutation in Arabidopsis. Moreover, ZCN12 actively participates in the accumulation of florigen and the flowering process. Further research revealed that ZmARF16 positively responds to the auxin signal, and that the interaction between ZmARF16 and the ZCN12 promoter, as well as the subsequent promotion of ZCN12 gene expression, leads to early flowering. This was confirmed through a yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase assay. Therefore, the study provides evidence that the ZmARF16-ZCN12 module plays a crucial role in regulating the flowering process of maize.