title: Expression of the alfalfa FRIGIDA-like gene, MsFRI-L delays flowering time in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana.
abstract: In Arabidopsis, allelic variation at the FRIGIDA (FRI) locus is a major determinant of natural variation in flowering time. We have identified a FRIGIDA like protein gene, MsFRI-L, with unknown function from Medicago sativa L. Expression of MsFRI-L was increased in wild alfalfa under continuous cold conditions and the gene was expressed in all tissues including roots, stems, leaves and flowers, and weakest in flowers under light/dark conditions. Expression of MsFRI-L in transgenic Arabidopsis plants resulted in late flowering phenotypes under long day conditions or treated with vernalization. Subcellular analysis showed that MsFRI-L was localized in the nucleus. Transcript profiling of floral regulatory genes in MsFRI-L transgenic Arabidopsis showed enhanced expression of the flowering repressor FLOWERING LOCUS C and decreased expression of one key flowering time genes FLOWERING LOCUS T. These results suggest that MsFRI-L delays flowering time by regulating flowering genes expression under long day conditions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yuehui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Qingchuan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Junmei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Tiejun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D000455:Medicago sativa / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D021381:Protein Transport; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins