Developing a method for customized induction of flowering.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The ability to induce flowering on demand is of significant biotechnological interest. FT protein has been recently identified as an important component of the mobile flowering hormone, florigen, whose function is conserved across the plant kingdom. We therefore focused on manipulation of both endogenous and heterologous FT genes to develop a floral induction system where flowering would be inhibited until it was induced on demand. The concept was tested in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis).

Results

Our starting point was plants with strongly delayed flowering due to silencing of FT with an artificial microRNA directed at FT (amiR-FT) 1. First, we showed that constitutive expression of a heterologous FT gene (FTa1), from the model legume Medicago

SUBMITTER: Yeoh CC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3080291 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature