Role of <i>SVP</i> in the control of flowering time by ambient temperature in <i>Arabidopsis</i>

Plants must perceive and rapidly respond to changes in ambient temperature for their successful reproduction. Here we demonstrate that Arabidopsis SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE ( SVP ) plays an important role in the response of plants to ambient temperature changes. The loss of SVP function elicited insensitivity to ambient temperature changes. SVP mediates the temperature-dependent functions of FCA and FVE within the thermosensory pathway. SVP controls flowering time by negatively regulating the expression of a floral integrator, FLOWERING LOCUS T ( FT ), via direct binding to the CArG motifs in the FT sequence. We propose that this is one of the molecular mechanisms that modulate flowering time under fluctuating temperature conditions.