The FLC operon is a conserved eukaryotic locus  that is negatively associated with flowering via repression of genes needed for the development of the meristem to switch to a floral state in the plant species Arabidopsis thaliana. FLC expression has been shown be regulated by the presence of [https://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P0DH90 FRIGIDA], and negatively correlates with decreases in temperature resulting in the prevention of vernalization. The degree to which expression decreases depends on the temperature and exposure time as seasons progress. After the downregulation of FLC expression, the potential for flowering is enabled. The regulation of FLC expression involves both genetic and epigenetic factors such as histone methylation and DNA methylation. Furthermore, a number of genes are cofactors act as negative transcription factors for FLC genes. FLC genes also have a large number of homologues across species that allow for specific adaptations in a range of climates.