Identification of FLC binding regions in Arabidopsis using ChIP-Seq

FLC has a key role in the timing of the initiation of flowering in Arabidopsis. FLC binds and represses two genes which promote flowering, FT and SOC1. We show that FLC binds to many other genes indicating that it has regulatory roles other than the repression of flowering. We identified 505 FLC binding sites, most located in the promoter regions of genes and containing at least one CArG box, the motif known to be associated with MADS-box proteins. The genes we identified as FLC targets are involved in developmental pathways throughout the life history of the plant, many of which are associated with reproductive development including floral development.