title: Mutation in TERMINAL FLOWER1 reverses the photoperiodic requirement for flowering in the wild strawberry Fragaria vesca.
abstract: Photoperiodic flowering has been extensively studied in the annual short-day and long-day plants rice (Oryza sativa) and Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), whereas less is known about the control of flowering in perennials. In the perennial wild strawberry, Fragaria vesca (Rosaceae), short-day and perpetual flowering long-day accessions occur. Genetic analyses showed that differences in their flowering responses are caused by a single gene, SEASONAL FLOWERING LOCUS, which may encode the F. vesca homolog of TERMINAL FLOWER1 (FvTFL1). We show through high-resolution mapping and transgenic approaches that FvTFL1 is the basis of this change in flowering behavior and demonstrate that FvTFL1 acts as a photoperiodically regulated repressor. In short-day F. vesca, long photoperiods activate FvTFL1 mRNA expression and short days suppress it, promoting flower induction. These seasonal cycles in FvTFL1 mRNA level confer seasonal cycling of vegetative and reproductive development. Mutations in FvTFL1 prevent long-day suppression of flowering, and the early flowering that then occurs under long days is dependent on the F. vesca homolog of FLOWERING LOCUS T. This photoperiodic response mechanism differs from those described in model annual plants. We suggest that this mechanism controls flowering within the perennial growth cycle in F. vesca and demonstrate that a change in a single gene reverses the photoperiodic requirements for flowering.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Elli A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Koskela
authors.forename: Katriina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mouhu
authors.forename: Maria C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Albani
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurokura
authors.forename: Marja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rantanen
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Sargent
authors.forename: Nicholas H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Battey
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Coupland
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Elomaa
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hytönen
mesh_terms: D060146:Ecotype; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D031985:Fragaria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020868:Gene Silencing; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D017440:Photoperiod; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins