Functional FRIGIDA allele enhances drought tolerance by regulating the P5CS1 pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana

Flowering at the right time is important for the reproductive success of plants and their response to environmental stress. In Arabidopsis, a major determinant of natural variation in flowering time is FRIGIDA (FRI). In the present study, we show that overexpression of the functional FRIGIDA gene in wild-type Col background (ColFRI) positively enhances the drought tolerance by activating P5CS1 expression and promoting proline accumulation during water stress. Furthermore, no significant changes in FRI gene and protein expression levels were observed with drought treatment, whereas P5CS1 protein expression significantly increased. In contrast, vernalization treatment efficiently reduced P5CS1 expression levels and resulted in a decrease in drought tolerance in the ColFRI plants. The flc mutants with a functional FRI background also relieved FRI-mediated activation of P5CS1 during drought tolerance. Taken together, our findings reveal the novel function of FRI in enhancing drought resistance through its downstream P5CS1 pathway during water-deficit stress, which is dependent on its target, the FLC gene.