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    LFY floral meristem identity control protein LEAFY (LFY) [ Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress) ]

    Gene ID: 836307, updated on 23-Jul-2026
    Official Symbol
    LFY
    Official Full Name
    floral meristem identity control protein LEAFY (LFY)
    Primary source
    TAIR:AT5G61850
    Locus tag
    AT5G61850
    See related
    Araport:AT5G61850
    Gene type
    protein coding
    RefSeq status
    REVIEWED
    Organism
    Arabidopsis thaliana (ecotype: Columbia)
    Lineage
    Eukaryota; Viridiplantae; Streptophyta; Embryophyta; Tracheophyta; Spermatophyta; Magnoliopsida; eudicotyledons; Gunneridae; Pentapetalae; rosids; malvids; Brassicales; Brassicaceae; Camelineae; Arabidopsis
    Also known as
    LEAFY; LEAFY 3; LFY3; MAC9.13; MAC9_13
    Summary
    Encodes transcriptional regulator that promotes the transition to flowering.Involved in floral meristem development. LFY is involved in the regulation of AP3 expression, and appears to bring the F-box protein UFO to the AP3 promoter. Amino acids 46-120 define a protein domain that mediates self-interaction.
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    See LFY in Genome Data Viewer
    Location:
    chromosome: 5
    Exon count:
    3
    Sequence:
    Chromosome: 5; NC_003076.8 (24844248..24846989)

    Chromosome 5 - NC_003076.8Genomic Context describing neighboring genes Neighboring gene tRNA-Tyr Neighboring gene Exostosin family protein Neighboring gene uncharacterized protein Neighboring gene Protein Transporter, Pam16

    Genomic Sequence:
    NC_003076.8

    Go to nucleotide: Graphics FASTA GenBank

    Related articles in PubMed

    1. LEAFY, a Homeotic Gene That Regulates Inflorescence Development in Arabidopsis. Schultz EA, et al. Plant Cell, 1991 Aug. PMID 12324613, Free PMC Article
    2. Transformation of rice with the Arabidopsis floral regulator LEAFY causes early heading. He Z, et al. Transgenic Res, 2000 Jun. PMID 11032371
    3. Quantitative trait loci for floral morphology in Arabidopsis thaliana. Juenger T, et al. Genetics, 2000 Nov. PMID 11063709, Free PMC Article
    4. LEAFY controls auxin response pathways in floral primordium formation. Li W, et al. Sci Signal, 2013 Apr 9. PMID 23572147, Free PMC Article
    5. Wilkinson support calculated with exact probabilities: an example using Floricaula/LEAFY amino acid sequences that compares three hypotheses involving gene gain/loss in seed plants. Frohlich MW, et al. Mol Biol Evol, 2000 Dec. PMID 11110908

    See all (175) citations in PubMed

    GeneRIFs: Gene References Into Functions

    What's a GeneRIF?
    1. LEAFY and APETALA1 down-regulate ZINC FINGER PROTEIN 1 and 8 to release their repression on class B and C floral homeotic genes.
      Title: LEAFY and APETALA1 down-regulate ZINC FINGER PROTEIN 1 and 8 to release their repression on class B and C floral homeotic genes.
    2. The LEAFY floral regulator displays pioneer transcription factor properties.
      Title: The LEAFY floral regulator displays pioneer transcription factor properties.
    3. LEAFY is a pioneer transcription factor and licenses cell reprogramming to floral fate.
      Title: LEAFY is a pioneer transcription factor and licenses cell reprogramming to floral fate.
    4. LFY activity is fully dependent on BOP2 as well as on CUL3A and B to regulate target genes such as APETALA1 and to induce ectopic flower formation.
      Title: LEAFY activity is post-transcriptionally regulated by BLADE ON PETIOLE2 and CULLIN3 in Arabidopsis.
    5. LFY and AP1 are conserved floral regulators that act nonredundantly in C. hirsuta, such that LFY has more obvious roles in floral and leaf development in C. hirsuta than in A. thaliana.
      Title: Conservation vs divergence in LEAFY and APETALA1 functions between Arabidopsis thaliana and Cardamine hirsuta.
    6. LFY and AP1/CAL act as part of an incoherent feed-forward loop, a network motif where two interconnected pathways or transcription factors act in opposite directions on a target gene, to control the establishment of a stable developmental program for the formation of flowers.
      Title: Transcription Factor Interplay between LEAFY and APETALA1/CAULIFLOWER during Floral Initiation.
    7. WRKY71 activity hastens flowering via the direct activation of FT and LFY.
      Title: WRKY71 accelerates flowering via the direct activation of FLOWERING LOCUS T and LEAFY in Arabidopsis thaliana.
    8. data suggest that transcriptional regulation of LFY at the chromatin level by PKL may at least partially account for the late-flowering phenotype of pkl mutants
      Title: CHD3 chromatin-remodeling factor PICKLE regulates floral transition partially via modulating LEAFY expression at the chromatin level in Arabidopsis.
    9. ANT and AIL6 directly induce LFY expression in response to auxin to promote the onset of flower formation.
      Title: AINTEGUMENTA and AINTEGUMENTA-LIKE6/PLETHORA3 Induce LEAFY Expression in Response to Auxin to Promote the Onset of Flower Formation in Arabidopsis.
    10. A SAM oligomerization domain shapes the genomic binding landscape of the LEAFY transcription factor.
      Title: A SAM oligomerization domain shapes the genomic binding landscape of the LEAFY transcription factor.
    Submit: New GeneRIF Correction See all GeneRIFs (33)
    Products Interactant Other Gene Complex Source Pubs Description

    Markers

    Homology

    NM_125579.1

    Gene Ontology Provided by TAIR

    Function Evidence Code Pubs
    enables DNA binding IEA
    Inferred from Electronic Annotation
    more info
    		  
    enables DNA-binding transcription factor activity IBA
    Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor
    more info
    		  
    enables DNA-binding transcription factor activity IDA
    Inferred from Direct Assay
    more info
    		 PubMed 
    enables DNA-binding transcription factor activity TAS
    Traceable Author Statement
    more info
    		 PubMed 
    enables chromatin DNA binding IDA
    Inferred from Direct Assay
    more info
    		 PubMed 
    enables protein binding IPI
    Inferred from Physical Interaction
    more info
    		 PubMed 
    enables protein homodimerization activity IDA
    Inferred from Direct Assay
    more info
    		 PubMed 
    enables sequence-specific DNA binding IDA
    Inferred from Direct Assay
    more info
    		 PubMed 
    enables transcription cis-regulatory region binding IBA
    Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor
    more info
    		  
    enables transcription cis-regulatory region binding IPI
    Inferred from Physical Interaction
    more info
    		 PubMed 
    Process Evidence Code Pubs
    acts_upstream_of_or_within floral meristem determinacy IGI
    Inferred from Genetic Interaction
    more info
    		 PubMed 
    acts_upstream_of_or_within flower development IMP
    Inferred from Mutant Phenotype
    more info
    		 PubMed 
    acts_upstream_of_or_within gibberellic acid mediated signaling pathway TAS
    Traceable Author Statement
    more info
    		 PubMed 
    involved_in maintenance of inflorescence meristem identity IBA
    Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor
    more info
    		  
    acts_upstream_of_or_within maintenance of inflorescence meristem identity IGI
    Inferred from Genetic Interaction
    more info
    		 PubMed 
    involved_in maintenance of meristem identity IEA
    Inferred from Electronic Annotation
    more info
    		  
    involved_in regulation of DNA-templated transcription IEA
    Inferred from Electronic Annotation
    more info
    		  
    involved_in regulation of flower development IBA
    Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor
    more info
    		  
    Component Evidence Code Pubs
    located_in nucleus IEA
    Inferred from Electronic Annotation
    more info
    		  
    located_in nucleus ISM
    Inferred from Sequence Model
    more info
    		  
    located_in nucleus TAS
    Traceable Author Statement
    more info
    		 PubMed 
    Preferred Names
    floral meristem identity control protein LEAFY (LFY)
    NP_200993.1
    • LEAFY (LFY); CONTAINS InterPro DOMAIN/s: Floricaula/leafy protein (InterPro:IPR002910); Has 1807 Blast hits to 1807 proteins in 277 species: Archae - 0; Bacteria - 0; Metazoa - 736; Fungi - 347; Plants - 385; Viruses - 0; Other Eukaryotes - 339 (source: NCBI BLink).

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    Genome Annotation

    The following sections contain reference sequences that belong to a specific genome build. Explain

    Reference assembly

    Genomic

    1. NC_003076.8 Reference assembly

      Range
      24844248..24846989
      Download
      GenBank, FASTA, Sequence Viewer (Graphics)

    mRNA and Protein(s)

    1. NM_001345500.1 → NP_001331273.1  floral meristem identity control protein LEAFY (LFY) [Arabidopsis thaliana]

      Status: REVIEWED

      UniProtKB/TrEMBL
      A0A1P8BDB4
      Conserved Domains (2) summary
      pfam01698
      Location:44 → 111
      LFY_SAM; Floricaula / Leafy protein SAM domain
      pfam17538
      Location:227 → 391
      C_LFY_FLO; DNA Binding Domain (C-terminal) Leafy/Floricaula

    2. NM_125579.1 → NP_200993.1  floral meristem identity control protein LEAFY (LFY) [Arabidopsis thaliana]

      See identical proteins and their annotated locations for NP_200993.1

      Status: REVIEWED

      UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot
      A0MFR2, Q00958, Q1PDG5, Q8LSH2, Q8LSH3
      UniProtKB/TrEMBL
      A0A023T4L8, A0A178U799
      Conserved Domains (2) summary
      pfam01698
      Location:44 → 111
      LFY_SAM; Floricaula / Leafy protein SAM domain
      pfam17538
      Location:223 → 387
      C_LFY_FLO; DNA Binding Domain (C-terminal) Leafy/Floricaula
    Nucleotide Protein
    Heading Accession and Version
    Protein Accession Links
    GenPept Link UniProtKB Link
    Q00958.2

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