A mobile ELF4 delivers circadian temperature information from shoots to roots

The circadian clock is synchronized by environmental cues, mostly by light and temperature. Explaining how the plant circadian clock responds to temperature oscillations is crucial to understanding plant responsiveness to the environment. Here, we found a prevalent temperature-dependent function of the Arabidopsis clock component EARLY FLOWERING 4 (ELF4) in the root clock. Although the clocks in roots are able to run in the absence of shoots, micrografting assays and mathematical analyses show that ELF4 moves from shoots to regulate rhythms in roots. ELF4 movement does not convey photoperiodic information, but trafficking is essential for controlling the period of the root clock in a temperature-dependent manner. Low temperatures favour ELF4 mobility, resulting in a slow-paced root clock, whereas high temperatures decrease movement, leading to a faster clock. Hence, the mobile ELF4 delivers temperature information and establishes a shoot-to-root dialogue that sets the pace of the clock in roots.Research in the Y.H. laboratory is supported by JSPS KAKENHI (Grant Number JP18K11461). The S.J.D. laboratory is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/N018540/1). S.A.K. acknowledges support from the National Institutes of Health (GM067837). The Mas laboratory is funded by the FEDER/Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, the Ramon Areces Foundation and the Generalitat de Catalunya (AGAUR). The P.M. laboratory also acknowledges financial support from the CERCA Program, Generalitat de Catalunya and by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the Severo Ochoa Program for Centers of Excellence in R&D 2016–2019 (SEV-2015-0533). W.W.C. is a recipient of a Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) fellowship.Peer reviewe