miR824-Regulated AGAMOUS-LIKE16 Contributes to Flowering Time Repression in Arabidopsis

The timing of flowering is pivotal for maximizing reproductive success under fluctuating environmental conditions. Flowering time is tightly controlled by complex genetic networks that integrate endogenous and exogenous cues, such as light, temperature, photoperiod, and hormones. Here, we show that AGAMOUS-LIKE16 (AGL16) and its negative regulator microRNA824 (miR824) control flowering time in Arabidopsis thaliana. Knockout of AGL16 effectively accelerates flowering in nonvernalized Col-FRI, in which the floral inhibitor FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) is strongly expressed, but shows no effect if plants are vernalized or grown in short days. Alteration of AGL16 expression levels by manipulating miR824 abundance influences the timing of flowering quantitatively, depending on the expression level and number of functional FLC alleles. The effect of AGL16 is fully dependent on the presence of FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT). Further experiments show that AGL16 can interact directly with SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE and indirectly with FLC, two proteins that form a complex to repress expression of FT. Our data reveal that miR824 and AGL16 modulate the extent of flowering time repression in a long-day photoperiod.