Cross-species complementation reveals conserved functions for EARLY FLOWERING 3 between monocots and dicots.

Plant responses to the environment are shaped by external stimuli and internal signaling pathways. In both the model plant () and crop species, circadian clock factors are critical for growth, flowering, and circadian rhythms. Outside of however, little is known about the molecular function of clock gene products. Therefore, we sought to compare the function of () and () orthologs of a key clock gene in . To identify both cycling genes and putative functional orthologs in , a circadian RNA-seq dataset and online query tool (Diel Explorer) were generated to explore expression profiles of genes under circadian conditions. The function of orthologs from and was tested for complementation of an mutation in . We find that both monocot orthologs were capable of rescuing hypocotyl elongation, flowering time, and arrhythmic clock phenotypes. Using affinity purification and mass spectrometry, our data indicate that BdELF3 and SvELF3 could be integrated into similar complexes as AtELF3. Thus, we find that, despite 180 million years of separation, and can functionally complement loss of at the molecular and physiological level.