FLD interacts with genes that affect different developmental phase transitions to regulate Arabidopsis shoot development.
A new fld mutant allele, fld-2, which significantly delayed flowering, was isolated and characterized in Arabidopsis thaliana. Even under long-day conditions after more than 100 days in the greenhouse, the majority of fld-2 mutant plants had not bolted. In addition, mutant inflorescences produced more than 10 co-florescences that were subtended by a high number of rosette-like leaves before giving rise to flowers. The late-flowering phenotype of the fld-2 mutation could be partially overcome by both vernalization and GA treatment but it was not influenced by 5-azaC treatment. Phenotypic analyses of double mutants indicated that fld-2 is epistatic to early flowering mutants elf1, elf2 and elf3. In addition, fld-2 could enhance vegetative characteristics in embryonic flower 1 (emf1) mutants by causing many small sessile leaves in fld-2 emf1 double mutants. The relief of the terminal flower 1 (tfl1) mutant phenotype in fld-2 tfl1 double mutants, and the enhancement of leafy (lfy) and apetala1 (ap1) mutant phenotypes in fld-2 lfy and fld-2 ap1 double mutants, suggest that FLD is also likely to be involved in the floral transition. Our results strongly suggest that the FLD gene plays a key role in regulating the reproductive competence of the shoot and results in different developmental phase transitions in Arabidopsis.
Chou
M L
ML
Graduate Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Yang
C H
CH
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D001374:Azacitidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005020:Ethyl Methanesulfonate; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000187:drug effects; D005875:Gibberellins / Q000494:pharmacology; D016296:Mutagenesis; D010641:Phenotype; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000494:pharmacology; D018547:Plant Stems; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
D005875:Gibberellins; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D005020:Ethyl Methanesulfonate; C007842:gibberellic acid; D001374:Azacitidine