In recent years trying to decipher the mechanisms of circadian clock function. Genetic and molecular research on Arabidopsis thaliana were used to identify components of the clock and regulatory mechanisms in the circadian oscillator. Initially proposed a reciprocal regulation between transcription factors CCA1 (circadian clock associated) and LHY (late elongated hypocotyl) with the regulator TOC1 (timing of cab expression 1).

Abscisic acid (ABA) is one of the clock-related phytohormones. Cellular changes in concentration lead to an increase in plant tolerance to environmental stress and the perception of the hormonal changes seem to be taking place in the receptors (ABARE). Despite the many known transcriptional networks that connect the ABA with the circadian clock, as yet unknown molecular nodes where both pathways converge to translate environmental information into a physiological response.

Researchers at the Research Center Agrigenomics (CRAG) in this paper show evidence of feedback mechanism that links the circadian clock with plant responses to drought. TOC1 is a key component that binds to the promoter of ABA-related gene expression and circadian control. This has confirmed the role of ABARE in the ABA signaling pathway.

Genetic and molecular studies show the existence of a negative feedback loop that negatively regulates TOC1 expression ABARE, whose activity is, in turn, required for activation of TOC1 by ABA. These studies suggest that the timing (timing) of this feed back loop is important in ABA-mediated changes in gene expression and plant responses to drought conditions.