Over-expression of an FT-homologous gene of apple induces early flowering in annual and perennial plants.
The protein encoded by the FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) gene from Arabidopsis thaliana seems to be the long-searched florigen, and over-expression of FT orthologues resulted in accelerated flower development in annual and perennial plants. In the present study, we isolated two allelic mRNA sequences of an FT-homologous gene from apple, which was designated as MdFT1. Using a SSR motif this gene was mapped on LG 12 of apple. Over-expression of MdFT1 in Arabidopsis and the commercially important tree species poplar and apple itself using the CaMV 35S or the Arabidopsis Suc2 promoter resulted in significant accelerated flowering compared with wild-type plants. Transgenic T(0) plants of Arabidopsis flowered 4-6 days on average earlier than wild-type Arabidopsis under LD conditions. Under short-day conditions Suc2::MdFT1 plants of the T(1)-generation flowered after 66 ± 18 days, while wild-type plants flowered about 22 days later. All transgenic Arabidopsis plants showed a normal habit except for the early flowering phenotype. Early flowering was detected 6-10 months after transformation in transgenic polar clones containing MdFT1 driven by the CaMV 35S, whereas plants of the transgenic apple clone T780 set up its first flowers during in vitro cultivation. Based on our results we conclude that MdFT1 is responsible for inducing flowering and that the function of the apple FT1 gene is conserved in annual herbaceous species as well as perennial woody species. Furthermore, we discuss the role of MdFT1 in flower development with regard to the findings of genetic studies on apple.
Tränkner
Conny
C
Institute for Plant Breeding, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Olshausenstr. 40, 24118, Kiel, Germany.
Lehmann
Sandra
S
Hoenicka
Hans
H
Hanke
Magda-Viola
MV
Fladung
Matthias
M
Lenhardt
Denise
D
Dunemann
Frank
F
Gau
Achim
A
Schlangen
Karin
K
Malnoy
Mickael
M
Flachowsky
Henryk
H
D035264:Flowers; D015870:Gene Expression; D017343:Genes, Plant; D027845:Malus / Q000235:genetics*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified
Am J Bot. 2002 Sep;89(9):1478-84
21665749
Plant Mol Biol. 2003 Jun;52(3):511-26
12956523
Plant J. 1998 Dec;16(6):735-43
10069079
Planta. 2010 Jan;231(2):251-63
19902244
Curr Biol. 2010 Apr 13;20(7):629-35
20303265
Plant Cell. 2007 Oct;19(10):2988-3000
17965272
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Apr 18;103(16):6398-403
16606827
Science. 2005 Aug 12;309(5737):1056-9
16099980
Plant J. 2000 May;22(3):235-45
10849341
Science. 1999 Dec 3;286(5446):1960-2
10583960
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 May 24;102(21):7748-53
15894619
Plant Mol Biol. 2007 Mar;63(5):637-50
17160562
Plant Cell Physiol. 2005 Feb;46(2):292-9
15695467
J Exp Bot. 2010 Jun;61(10):2549-60
20406786
Science. 1999 Dec 3;286(5446):1962-5
10583961
Curr Biol. 2007 Jun 19;17(12):1050-4
17540569
Plant Mol Biol. 2002 Aug;49(6):567-77
12081365
Planta. 2008 Apr;227(5):1001-11
18185941
Plant Cell Physiol. 2008 Nov;49(11):1645-58
18849573
Plant Cell. 2006 Aug;18(8):1846-61
16844908
Transgenic Res. 2005 Oct;14(5):703-12
16245161
Genetics. 2007 May;176(1):599-609
17339225
Plant Cell. 2005 Oct;17(10):2661-75
16155177
Nature. 2001 Apr 26;410(6832):1116-20
11323677
Tree Physiol. 2008 Oct;28(10):1459-66
18708327
Bioessays. 2004 Apr;26(4):363-73
15057934
Plant Mol Biol. 1985 Mar;5(2):69-76
24306565
Development. 2004 Aug;131(15):3615-26
15229176
Nature. 1995 Oct 12;377(6549):495-500
7566146
Ann Bot. 2003 Aug;92(2):199-206
12805080
Plant Physiol. 2008 Jan;146(1):250-64
17993543
Science. 2006 May 19;312(5776):1040-3
16675663
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 May 19;106(20):8392-7
19416824
Science. 2007 May 18;316(5827):1030-3
17446353
Theor Appl Genet. 1995 Dec;91(8):1253-6
24170054
Plant Cell. 2004;16 Suppl:S18-31
15037730
Plant Cell Physiol. 2002 Oct;43(10):1096-105
12407188
Theor Appl Genet. 2005 Jun;111(1):171-83
15883791
Plant Cell. 2007 May;19(5):1488-506
17540715
Trends Plant Sci. 2009 Oct;14(10):563-73
19716745
Plant Physiol. 2005 Oct;139(2):770-8
16183837
EMBO J. 2006 Feb 8;25(3):605-14
16424903
Genes Dev. 2006 Apr 1;20(7):898-912
16600915