title: Molecular cloning and functional analysis of the FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) homolog GhFT1 from Gossypium hirsutum.
abstract: FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) encodes a member of the phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein (PEBP) family that functions as the mobile floral signal, playing an important role in regulating the floral transition in angiosperms. We isolated an FT-homolog (GhFT1) from Gossypium hirsutum L. cultivar, Xinluzao 33 GhFT1 was predominantly expressed in stamens and sepals, and had a relatively higher expression level during the initiation stage of fiber development. GhFT1 mRNA displayed diurnal oscillations in both long-day and short-day condition, suggesting that the expression of this gene may be under the control of the circadian clock. Subcellular analysis revealed that GhFT1 protein located in the cytoplasm and nucleus. Ectopic expression of GhFT1 in transgenic arabidopsis plants resulted in early flowering compared with wild-type plants. In addition, ectopic expression of GhFT1 in arabidopsis ft-10 mutants partially rescued the extremely late flowering phenotype. Finally, several flowering related genes functioning downstream of AtFT were highly upregulated in the 35S::GhFT1 transgenic arabidopsis plants. In summary, GhFT1 is an FT-homologous gene in cotton that regulates flower transition similar to its orthologs in other plant species and thus it may be a candidate target for promoting early maturation in cotton breeding.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832003, China.
authors.forename: Danli
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832003, China.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832003, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Chemistry of Plant Resources in Arid Regions, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China.
authors.forename: Xiaobo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Chemistry of Plant Resources in Arid Regions, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China.
authors.forename: Xiangwen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832003, China.
authors.forename: Xianzhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D003368:Gossypium / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D021381:Protein Transport; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins
keywords: Cotton; FLOWING LOCUS T; floral transition; florigen; flowering time