Roles for farnesol and ABA in Arabidopsis flower development.

The Arabidopsis FOLK (At5g58560) gene encodes farnesol kinase, which phosphorylates farnesol to farnesyl phosphate. Loss-of-function mutations in the FOLK gene are associated with enhanced sensitivity to abscisic acid (ABA), suggesting that FOLK negatively regulates ABA signaling. Moreover, folk flowers develop supernumerary carpels under water stress, providing evidence for a molecular link between farnesol metabolism, abiotic stress signaling and flower development. Here, we show that farnesol increases ABA sensitivity and that ABA affects flower development in Arabidopsis.