Silencing Nicotiana attenuata LHY and ZTL alters circadian rhythms in flowers

Silencing core circadian clock components in Nicotiana attenuata significantly altered floral rhythms.

• The circadian clock is involved in controlling the timing of flower opening, scent emission, and petal movement under constant light conditions.
• Floral opening, scent release, and pedicel movement are regulated by the circadian clock, whereas flower closing is not affected.
• Transgenic lines of N. attenuata with silenced genes NaLHY and NaZTL exhibited distinct changes in floral rhythms.
• These findings indicate that core clock components play a role in coordinating the complex rhythms of flowering in N. attenuata.

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