Genetic architecture of a light-temperature coincidence detector

Light and temperature variations are inescapable in nature. These signals provide daily and seasonal information, guiding life history determinations across many taxa. Here we show that signals from the PHOTOTROPIN2 (PHOT2) blue photoreceptor combine with low temperature information to control flowering. Plants lacking PHOT2 flower later than controls when grown in low ambient temperature. This phenotype requires blue light, is blocked by removal of NON-PHOTOTROPIC HYPOCOTYL 3 (NPH3), and is recapitulated by removing the transcription factor CAMTA2. PHOT2 and CAMTA2 show non-additive genetic interactions in phenotype and gene expression. Network-based co-expression analysis indicates system-level control of key growth modules by PHOT2 and CAMTA2. CAMTA2 is required for low temperature up-regulation of EHB1, a known NPH3-interacting protein, providing a potential mechanism of temperature information input to the PHOT-NPH3 blue light signaling system. Together these data describe the genetic architecture of environmental signal integration in this blue light-low temperature coincidence detection module.