The vascular targeted citrus FLOWERING LOCUS T3 gene promotes non-inductive early flowering in transgenic Carrizo rootstocks and grafted juvenile scions.

ABSTRACT: Shortening the juvenile stage in citrus and inducing early flowering has been the focus of several citrus genetic improvement programs. FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) is a small phloem-translocated protein that regulates precocious flowering. In this study, two populations of transgenic Carrizo citrange rootstocks expressing either Citrus clementina FT1 or FT3 genes under the control of the Arabidopsis thaliana phloem specific SUCROSE SYNTHASE 2 (AtSUC2) promoter were developed. The transgenic plants were morphologically similar to the non-transgenic controls (non-transgenic Carrizo citrange), however, only AtSUC2-CcFT3 was capable of inducing precocious flowers. The transgenic lines produced flowers 16 months after transformation and flower buds appeared 30-40 days on juvenile immature scions gra

SUBMITTER: Soares JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7722890 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature