Abstract
Flowering time marks the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth and is key for optimal yield in any crop. The molecular mechanisms controlling this trait have been extensively studied in model plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana and rice. While knowledge on the molecular regulation of this trait is rapidly increasing in sequenced galegoid legume crops, understanding in faba bean remains limited. Here we exploited translational genomics from model legume crops to identify and fine map QTLs linked to flowering time in faba bean. Among the 31 candidate genes relevant for flowering control in A. thaliana and Cicer arietinum assayed, 25 could be mapped in a segregating faba bean RIL population. While most of the genes showed conserved synteny among related legume species, none of them co-localized with the 9 significant QTL regions identified. The FT gene, previously implicated in the control of flowering time in numerous members of the temperate legume clade, mapped close to the most relevant stable and conserved QTL in chromosome V. Interestingly, QTL analysis suggests an important role of epigenetic modifications in faba bean flowering control. The new QTLs and candidate genes assayed here provide a robust framework for further genetic studies and will contribute to the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms controlling this trait.
Highlights
Flowering time marks the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth and is key for optimal yield in any crop
In addition to the light signals, internal pathways convey information via the FKF1/ZTL gene family[17]. All these signals converge on the circadian clock, which is controlled by the transcription factors CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED 1 (CCA1) and LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL (LHY), TIMING OF CAB 1 (TOC1), EARLY FLOWERING 3 (ELF3) and GIGANTEA (GI)
As many other temperate legume crops, faba bean synchronizes flowering to match the seasons by monitoring cues such as temperature and photoperiod
Summary
Flowering time marks the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth and is key for optimal yield in any crop. The molecular mechanisms controlling this trait have been extensively studied in model plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana and rice. We exploited translational genomics from model legume crops to identify and fine map QTLs linked to flowering time in faba bean. The new QTLs and candidate genes assayed here provide a robust framework for further genetic studies and will contribute to the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms controlling this trait. In addition to the light signals, internal pathways convey information via the FKF1/ZTL gene family[17] All these signals converge on the circadian clock, which is controlled by the transcription factors CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED 1 (CCA1) and LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL (LHY), TIMING OF CAB 1 (TOC1), EARLY FLOWERING 3 (ELF3) and GIGANTEA (GI). FT belongs to the PEBP gene family, which includes five other member TWIN SISTER OF FT (TSF), TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL1), A
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