title: GmFULa, a FRUITFULL homolog, functions in the flowering and maturation of soybean.
abstract: A FRUITFULL homolog GmFULa was cloned and found to play roles in the flowering and maturation of soybean. Soybean varieties exhibit great diversity in terms of flowering and maturation due to differences in their photoperiodic responses. The underlying mechanism remains unclear despite the fact that some upstream flowering genes have been studied. FRUITFULL (FUL) genes are one group of downstream flowering genes known to have major roles in reproductive transition, floral meristem identity, and floral organ identity. However, FUL homologs and their functions are poorly understood in soybean. Here, a soybean FUL homolog was cloned from the late-maturing photoperiod-sensitive soybean variety Zigongdongdou (ZGDD) and designated GmFULa. In ZGDD, GmFULa exhibited a terminal-preferential expression pattern, with higher expression in the root and shoot apices than in the middle parts. Diurnal rhythm analysis revealed that photoperiod regulates the GmFULa expression level but does not alter its diurnal rhythm. ZGDD was maintained under different photoperiod conditions (long day, LD; short day, SD; LD after 13 short days, SD13-LD) to assess GmFULa expression in newly expanded leaves and in the shoot apex. From this analysis, GmFULa expression was detected in the floral meristem, floral organs and their primordia; trifoliate leaves; and the inflorescence meristem, with the expression levels induced by SD and inhibited by LD. GmFULa expression was also associated with maturity in seven soybean varieties with different photoperiod sensitivities. Therefore, photoperiod conditions affect the expression level of GmFULa but not its diurnal rhythm. The gene plays pleiotropic roles in reproductive transition, flowering, and leaf development and is associated with maturity in soybean.
authors.affiliation: The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement and MOA Key Lab of Soybean Biology (Beijing), Institute of Crop Science, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Bingjun
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Xiaowei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Yanlei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.forename: Zhihong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fei
authors.forename: Hongbo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Cunxiang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Shi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Wensheng
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Tianfu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D018519:Meristem / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017440:Photoperiod; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013025:Glycine max / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins