For the past few decades, R.M. Amasino and his team have rigorously pursued the study of epigenetic control in plants, that is control of gene expression through systems which do not involve altering of the genetic sequence itself. Examples of this included binding of proteins to DNA to block or inhibit transcription taking place, or mechanisms which effect the post-transcriptional processing of mRNA transcripts (differental intron splicing, polyadenlation etc.). The focus of research has been upon the vernalization mechanism or how plants respond to a period of cold weather ie. winter as a signal to switch from vegetative development (plant growth) to reproductive develpment (production of flower structures). Using the ubiquitous Aribidopsis thaliana as a model organism for study of these processes, Amasino and co. identified several key genes involved in this process, one of which, the Flowering Locus C (FLC) has been discussed in great depth.
A breakthrough in this research occured in 2003, when Amasino identified two keen genes which were found to interact with and regulate the expression of FLC, FY and FCA. However these two genes do not function in the vernalization as such, instead they play a role in the autonomous reguation pathway, which seems to have been misconstrued by some of my peers. The focus of Amasino's research is not primarily on elucidating the mechanism of vernalization, but on epigenetics and studying how this regulation works, I think with an aim for extrapolation from plants to the study of genetics across Eukaryota.
It is in a later paper (Schmitz 2007), Amasino discusses the genetics of vernalization with greater specificity, almost with vernalization as an end in itself if you will. He shows that many genes are involved in vernalization, again with FLC as the central figure in this mechanism, forming the vernalization switch if you will.
The work in 2003, I found to be most interesting. The hypothesis of an FCA-FY complex not only regulating expression of FLC, supressing and hence promoting florescence, but also its potential function in its own regulation, and while this connection still hasnt been fully elucidated or proven, it seemed to be plausible and Amasino argued fr it quite convincingly I felt. I'm looking forward to future study in this area, something I would be highly entusiastic to be involved in myself, in really tying down this mechansim in a detailed way to a molecular level. Research in this area, would I feel have great potential in controlling harvest and improving crop yield efficency if we can get a handle on this whole vernalization pathway.
References
Schmitz RJ, Amasino RM; Vernalization: A model for investigating epigenetics and eukaryotic gene regulation in plants; BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE STRUCTURE AND EXPRESSION 1769 (5-6): 269-275 MAY-JUN 2007.
Amasino RM; Flowering time: A pathway that begins at the 3 ' end; CURRENT BIOLOGY 13 (17): R670-R672 SEP 2 2003.
