Research

The research in my group is focused on understanding the regulation of flowering time and tree phenology, with a special interest in comparative biology studies of the genetic pathways that are conserved in controlling the two processes. With this approach we aim to contribute to our understanding of the evolution of annual vs. perennial life strategies.
My group has a special interest in the regulation and function of FT-like genes. We contributed to the first studies of the molecular mechanisms controlling flowering time in trees, showing that FT-like genes, that are central in the regulation of flowering time in annual plants, are functionally conserved in being very potent activators of flowering in trees.
Surprisingly, we could also show that FT-like genes in poplar trees control another important aspect of perennial growth behaviour: the short day-induced growth cessation and bud set that occurs in the fall. We have shown that the activity of the CO/FT regulon is partly conserved in the aspen tree and that short days induce a down-regulation of the activity of this regulon, leading to growth cessation and bud set. These findings have led to a completely new way of looking at the function of FT-like genes.
Subsequent studies in many different annual plants have now shown that these genes have a much more general role in controlling photoperiodic regulation of plant growth and development than was previously anticipated, based on work in Arabidopsis. We could also show that in sugar beet, only a two amino acid difference is critical in determining the sub-functionalization of two FT paralogs into either activators or repressors of flowering, and that the flowering repressor BvFT1 has a central role in the regulation of the biennial growth strategy in sugar beet.


We are now extending our comparative biology approach to study the similarities and differences in the regulation of flowering in Arabidopsis and the regulation of flowering and phenology in aspen (poplar) trees. Aspen trees have also two sub-functionalized FT-like genes, and we want to understand how these genes contribute to the regulation of growth cessation and bud set in the fall, as well as to the regulation of bud flush and growth in the spring.


We have also been involved in work showing that polymorphisms within one of the FT-like genes is the most important association that can be found to natural variation in adaptation to growth at different latitudes in Swedish aspen trees. We are investigating the mechanism for this adaptation in detail by studying the role of upstream regulators in the regulation of FT transcription in trees. We have also a long standing interest in extending this work to gymnosperm trees, like Norway spruce. Here, I have been involved in leading several large projects determining the genome sequences and developing genomic resources of conifers, including the first sequence of a gymnosperm, Norway spruce.
This work will provide us with a better understanding of the genetic pathways responsible for photoperiodic regulation of plant growth and development. It will also allow us to design new ways to enhance the speed of tree breeding through accelerated flowering and to adapt the growing period of trees to new climate zones and to a changing climate.
Key publications
- André, D., Marcon, A., Lee, K. C., Goretti, D., Zhang, B., Delhomme, N., Schmid, M., and Nilsson, O. (2022). FLOWERING LOCUS T paralogs control the annual growth cycle in Populus trees. Current Biology 32: 2988-2996. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.05.023
- Ding, J., Zhang, B., Li, Y., André, D. and Nilsson, O. (2021). Phytochrome B and PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR8 modulate seasonal growth in trees. New Phytologist 232: 2339-52. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.17350
- Ding, J., Böhlenius, H., Rühl, M., Chen, P., Sane, S., Zambrano, J., Zheng, B., Eriksson, M. and Nilsson, O. (2018). GIGANTEA-like genes control seasonal growth cessation in Populus. New Phytologist 218: 1491-1503. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15087
- Zhang, B., Holmlund, M., Lorrain, S., Norberg, M., Bakó, L., Fankhauser, C. and Nilsson, O. (2017). BLADE-ON-PETIOLE proteins act in an E3 ubiquitin ligase complex to regulate PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR4 abundance. eLife 6:e26759. https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.26759
- Nystedt B., Street N. et al. (2013). The Norway spruce genome sequence gives insights into conifer genome evolution. Nature 497: 579-584. (Nilsson O. Corresponding author). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature12211
- Pin P.A., Benlloch R., Bonnet D., Wremert-Weich E., Kraft T., Gielen J.L., Nilsson O. (2010). An antagonistic pair of FT homologs mediates the control of flowering time in sugar beet. Science 330: 1397-1400. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1197004
- Tuskan, G.A. et al. (The Populus Genome Consortium). 2006. The genome of black cottonwood, Populus trichocarpa (Torr. & Gray ex Brayshaw). Science 13: 1596-1604. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1128691
- Eriksson, S., Böhlenius, H., Moritz, T., Nilsson, O. 2006. GA4 is the active gibberellin in the regulation of LEAFY transcription and Arabidopsis floral initiation. Plant Cell 18: 2172-2181. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.106.042317
- Böhlenius, H., Huang, T., Charbonnel-Campaa, L., Brunner, A.M., Jansson, S., Strauss, S.H., Nilsson, O. 2006. The conserved CO/FT regulatory module controls timing of flowering and seasonal growth cessation in trees. Science 312: 1040-1043 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1126038
- Norberg, M., Holmlund, M., Nilsson, O. 2005. The BLADE ON PETIOLE genes act redundantly to control the growth and development of lateral organs. Development 132: 2203-2201. https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.01815
- Parcy, F., Nilsson, O., Busch, M. A., Lee, I. & Weigel, D. (1998). A genetic framework for floral patterning. Nature 395, 561-566. https://doi.org/10.1038/26903
- Weigel, D. & Nilsson, O. 1995. A developmental switch sufficient for flower initiation in diverse plants. Nature 377, 495-500. https://doi.org/10.1038/377495a0
Team
- 1999: Docent, SLU, Umeå, Sweden
- 1995: PhD, SLU, Umeå, Sweden
- 1988: M.Sc, Umeå University, Sweden
- 1987: B.Sc, Gothenburg University, Sweden
- Since 2002: Professor, SLU, Umeå, Sweden
- 1997-2002: Assistant professor (forskarassistent), SLU, Umeå, Sweden
- 1995-1997: Postdoctoral fellow, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA.
- 1998-1995: PhD student, SLU, Umeå, Sweden
- Since 2022: Elected member of the Formas research council (Forskarråd), the board of the government research council for sustainable development
- 2021: Evaluator of Spanish research centres in natural sciences “Severo Ochoa/Maria de Maeztu. Spanish ministry for science and innovation.
- 2020: Member of the chemistry evaluation panel during the large evaluation of research at Lund University (RQ20).
- 2019-2024: Leader and main applicant for the KAW-funded project: Norway Spruce and Scots Pine Genome Sequencing, Re-Sequencing and Genomic Selection”.
- Since 2018: Member of the board of the Wallenberg Wood Science Centre
- Since 2018: Member of the board of the Marcus Wallenberg Prize.
- 2017-2021: Leader and main applicant for the KAW-funded project: “UPSC Center for Forest Biology and Biotechnology”. Budget: 48 MSEK.
- 2017-2021: Director and main applicant of the VINNOVA-funded UPSC Centre for Forest Biotechnology (Competence centre).
- 2016, 2018: Chair of the external evaluation panel for the evaluation of the Copenhagen Plant Science Centre.
- Since 2016: Member of the board of the Troedsson foundation.
- Since 2016: Member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Portuguese PhD program “Plants for Life”.
- Since 2016: Member of the Advisory Board for LUKE (National Resources Institute of Finland).
- Since 2015: Member of the board of the Faculty of Forest Sciences, SLU
- Since 2015: Member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Viiki Plant Science Centre at Helsinki University.
- Since 2014: Member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Centre of Excellence “Molecular Biology of Primary Producers” at the Helsinki and Turku Universities.
- Since 2012: Member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the LabEx “Saclay Plant Sciences”. A large initiative to coordinate research, training and innovation between the four strongest plant research units in the Paris area (IBP, Orsay;, ISV, Gif-sur Yvette; URGV, Evry and IJPB, Versailles).
- Since 2012: Director, Umeå Plant Science Centre
- Since 2011: Board of directors of the Centre for Environmental and Resource Economics (CERE).
- 2019: Elected into the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry.
- 2017: Elected into the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences.
- 2016: Elected member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).
- 2012: Wallenberg Scholar.
- 2007: The Marcus Wallenberg Prize.
- 2001: Individual Grant for the Advancement of Research Leaders (INGVAR) from the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF). Appointed as “Research leader of the future in academia and industry”.