Abstract
Many systemically mobile mRNAs have been revealed in phloem. However, very few of them have been found to be of clear signaling functions. One of such rare examples is the mobile Flowering locus T (FT) mRNA despite the continuous debate about its mobility and biological relevance to the control of flowering time in plants. Nevertheless, accumulating evidence supports the notion of the long-distance movement of FT mRNA from leaf to shoot apex meristem and its role in flowering. In this review, we discuss the discovery of florigenic FT, the initial debate on long-distance movement of FT mRNA, emerging evidence to prove its mobility, and the use of mobile FT mRNA to generate heritable transgenerational gene editing in plants. We elaborate on evidence from virus-based RNA mobility assay, plant grafting, RNA with fluorescent protein labeling, and CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology, to demonstrate that the FT mRNA besides the FT protein can move systemically and function as an integral component of the florigenic signal in flowering. We also propose a model to prompt further research on the molecular mechanism underlying the long-distance movement of this important mobile signaling RNA in plants.
Highlights
Wheat, rice, and maize are the three most important crops which produce seeds as food to feed people globally (Borlaug, 2002)
Some mature leaves of the ft-3 scion grafted onto the wild-type stock were removed in order to enrich potential wild-type Flowering locus T (FT) mRNAs originated from wild-type stock
Phylogenetic analysis indicates that this small multigene family consists of three classes, FT-LIKE (FT and TWIN SISTER OF FT (TSF)), MOTHER OF FT AND TFL1 (MFT), and TERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1)-LIKE (ATC, BROTHER OF FT AND TFL1 (BFT), and TFL1) (Chardon and Damerval, 2005)
Summary
Rice, and maize are the three most important crops which produce seeds as food to feed people globally (Borlaug, 2002). Plants perceive the day-length changes in leaves and synthesize a flowering messenger. This signal molecule, dubbed florigen, a theoretical flowering initiation switch, moves long-distance from leave to shoot apical meristem (SAM) through the phloem vascular system to induce flowering (Chailakhyan, 1968; Yanovsky and Kay, 2003; Andrés and Coupland, 2012). We have discussed the discovery of florigenic Flowering Locus T (FT), the initial debate on long-distance movement of FT mRNA and its biological relevance to flowering, emerging evidence to prove FT mRNA mobility, and the application of mobile FT mRNA to generate heritable transgenerational gene editing. We discuss ideas to prompt further investigation into the molecular mechanisms underlying the long-distance movement of this important mobile signaling RNA in plants
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