The 14-3-3 Proteins mu and upsilon influence transition to flowering and early phytochrome response

14-3-3 proteins regulate a diverse set of biological responses but developmental phenotypes associated with 14-3-3 mutations have not been described in plants. Here, physiological and biochemical tests demonstrate interactions between 14-3-3s and the well-established mechanisms that govern light sensing and photoperiodic flowering control. Plants featuring homozygous disruption of 14-3-3 isoforms upsilon and mu display defects in light sensing and/or response. Mutant plants flower late and exhibit long hypocotyls under red light, with little effect under blue or far-red light. The long hypocotyl phenotype is consistent with a role for 14-3-3 upsilon and mu in phytochrome B signaling. Yeast two-hybrid and coimmunoprecipitation assays indicate that 14-3-3 upsilon and mu proteins physically interact with CONSTANS, a central regulator of the photoperiod pathway. Together, these data indicate a potential role for specific 14-3-3 isoforms in affecting photoperiodic flowering via interaction with CONSTANS, possibly as integrators of light signals sensed through the phytochrome system.