CONSTANS-LIKE 7 regulates branching and shade avoidance response in Arabidopsis

Branching is an important trait of plant development regulated by environmental signals. Phytochromes in Arabidopsis mediate branching in response to the changes in the red light:far-red light ratio (R:FR), the mechanisms of which are still elusive. Here it is shown that overexpression of CONSTANS-LIKE 7 (COL7) results in an abundant branching phenotype which could be efficiently suppressed by shade or a simulated shade environment (low R:FR). Moreover, col7 mutants develop shorter hypocotyls and COL7 overexpression lines develop longer hypocotyls in comparison with the wild type in low R:FR, indicating that COL7 acts as an enhancer of the shade avoidance response. In shade or transient low R:FR, transcriptional and post-transcriptional expression levels of COL7 are up-regulated and positively associated with rapid mRNA accumulation of PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR 3-LIKE 1 (PIL1), a marker gene of shade avoidance syndrome (SAS). Taken together, the results suggest a dual role for COL7 which promotes branching in high R:FR conditions but enhances SAS in low R:FR conditions.