title: Gibberellin deficiency is responsible for shy-flowering nature of Epipremnum aureum.
abstract: Epipremnum aureum is an extremely popular houseplant belonging to the Araceae family of angiosperms, but it does not flower either in the wild or under cultivation. We uncovered the potential causes of its shy-flowering nature by building the transcriptome using next-generation sequencing and identifying floral-related genes that are differentially expressed between vertical growth (VG, adult) and horizontal growth (HG, juvenile) plants. Transcripts of the gibberellin (GA) biosynthetic gene EaGA3ox1 and GA-responsive floral meristem identity gene EaLFY were absent in both VG and HG plants, suggesting that a deficiency of bioactive GAs may be responsible for its shy-flowering nature. This hypothesis is supported by undetectable or low levels of three bioactive GAs, and exogenous GA3 triggered flowering in both plants. Our study resolves the mystery why E. aureum fails to flower, and reveals the positive role of GAs in floral transition in perennials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute &Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC 27707, USA.
authors.forename: Chiu-Yueh
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.affiliation: Department of Agronomy, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Forestry, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ying-Hsuan
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Environmental Horticulture Department and Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, Apopka, University of Florida, Apopka, FL 32703, USA.
authors.forename: Jianjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute &Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC 27707, USA.
authors.forename: Farooqahmed S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Kittur
authors.affiliation: Environmental Horticulture Department and Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, Apopka, University of Florida, Apopka, FL 32703, USA.
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Henny
authors.affiliation: Department of Agronomy, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China.
authors.forename: Gulei
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Agronomy, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China.
authors.forename: Longjiang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomanufacturing Research Institute &Technology Enterprise, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC 27707, USA.
authors.forename: Jiahua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics*; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics*; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D005875:Gibberellins / Q000235:genetics*; D018519:Meristem / Q000235:genetics; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D005875:Gibberellins; D010940:Plant Proteins