Developing a method for customized induction of flowering

Chin Chin Yeoh,Joanna Putterill,Martin Balcerowicz,Rebecca Laurie,Richard Macknight

doi:10.1186/1472-6750-11-36

Chin Chin Yeoh, Joanna Putterill + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6750-11-36

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Journal: BMC Biotechnology	Publication Date: Apr 11, 2011
Citations: 76	License type: cc-by

Affiliation: University of Auckland, University of Otago

Abstract

BackgroundThe 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).ResultsOur 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 truncatula, (Medicago) was able to rescue the amiR-FT late-flowering phenotype. In order to induce flowering in a controlled way, the FTa1 gene was then expressed under the control of an alcohol-inducible promoter in the late flowering amiR-FT plants. Upon exposure to ethanol, FTa1 was rapidly up regulated and this resulted in the synchronous induction of flowering.ConclusionsWe have thus demonstrated a controlled-inducible flowering system using a novel combination of endogenous and heterologous FT genes. The universal florigenic nature of FT suggests that this type of system should be applicable to crops of economic value where flowering control is desirable.

Highlights

The ability to induce flowering on demand is of significant biotechnological interest
Selecting a heterologous FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) gene to overcome the late flowering phenotype of artificial microRNA to FT (amiR-FT) Arabidopsis plants Our starting point was a late flowering transgenic line of Arabidopsis in which flowering was inhibited by the expression of an artificial micro RNA directed against the FT gene in the phloem companion cells [1,26]. This amiR-FT pairs with FT transcript in the companion cells of the phloem and stimulates its degradation leading to gene silencing [26]
In a related project we are investigating the role of FT genes in flowering regulation in the model legume Medicago truncatula (Medicago), we investigated whether a Medicago FT gene might be a suitable heterologous candidate

Summary

Introduction

The ability to induce flowering on demand is of significant biotechnological interest. We 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). Flowering time is an important plant breeding target [reviewed by [2]]. Our goal is to develop molecular-genetic tools for customization of flowering in economically-important plants. The genetic networks that are involved in perception and response to these floral signals is best worked out in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) [3,4,5,6,7,8]. Many of the flowering time pathways converge on a set of genes called floral integrators, which includes

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