背景回顾：In Arabidopsis, photoperiodic floweringis controlled by the hub gene CONSTANS (CO), while floral organ senescence is regulated by the jasmonates (JAs). 

提出问题：As both processes are chronologically ordered, it remains unknown whether there are common regulators of both processes. 

结果1-CO积累模式：In this study, we discovered that CO protein is accumulated in Arabidopsisflowers after the floral induction, whereas it displays a diurnal pattern in floral organs different from that in the leaves. 

结果2-CO与JA响应：We observed that altered COexpression could affect flower senescence and abscission by interfering with JA response, as shown by petal-specific transcriptomic analysis as well as CO overexpression in JA synthesis and signaling mutants. 

结果3-CO-JAZ3互作：Interestingly, we found that CO has a ZIM-like domain that can mediate its interaction with the JA response repressor JAZ3(jasmonate ZIM-domain 3). Their interaction could inhibit the repressor activity of JAZ3, resulting in the activation of downstream transcription factors involved in promoting flower senescence. 

结果4-CO和JAZ3的泛素化降解：Furthermore, we showed that CO, JAZ3 and the E3 ubiquitin ligase Coronatine Insensitive 1 (COI1) could form a protein complex in planta, which promotes the degradation of both CO and JAZ3 in the presence of JAs. 

结论：Taken together, our results indicate that CO, a key regulator of photoperiodic flowering, is also involved in promoting flower senescenceand abscission by augmenting JA signaling and response. 

假设：We propose that the coordinated recruitment of photoperiodic and JA signaling pathways could be an efficient way for plants to chronologically order the floral process and ensure the success of offspring production.

Model for the CO-JAZ3-COI1 interaction in controlling flower senescence and abscission in plants.

在拟南芥中，光周期开花受到关键基因CO的调控，而花器官衰老则受到茉莉酸（JA）的调控。由于这两个过程存在时间上的先后关系，尚不清楚这两个过程之间存在何种程度的关联。本文中，作者发现在成花诱导后，拟南芥的花器官中会以一个不同于叶片的昼夜模式积累CO蛋白。作者通过一个花瓣特异性的转录组分析以及在JA合成和信号转导突变体中过表达CO基因，发现CO表达的改变会通过影响JA响应，从而影响花的衰老和脱落。有趣的是，作者发现CO具有一个ZIM-like结构域，能够介导其与JA响应受体JAZ3的互作。二者之间的互作能够抑制JAZ3蛋白的抑制活性，从而导致下游促进花衰老的转录因子的激活。此外，作者还发现CO、JAZ3和E3泛素连接酶COI1能够在植物体内形成一个蛋白复合物，从而在存在JA的情况下促进CO和JAZ3蛋白的降解。综上，本文的研究揭示了光周期开花关键因子CO通过增强JA信号转导和响应，同时还参与了花衰老的促进。作者认为，植物可能通过协调招募光周期和JA信号转导通路，来确保花器官在时间上的开花和凋落的先后顺序，从而保证生殖成功。