title: FT and florigen long-distance flowering control in plants.
abstract: The great hunt for florigen, the universal, long distance flowering regulator proposed by Chailakhan in the 1930s, resulted in the discovery a decade ago that FT-like proteins fulfilled the predictions for florigen. They are small (∼175 amino acids), globular, phosphatidylethanolamine-binding (PEBP) proteins, phloem-expressed, graft-transmissible and able to move to the shoot apex to act as potent stimulators of flowering in many plants. Genes that regulate Arabidopsis FT protein movement and some features of Arabidopsis FT protein that make it an effective florigen have recently been identified. Although floral promotion via graft transmission of FT has not been demonstrated in trees, FT-like genes have been successfully applied to reducing the long juvenile (pre-flowering) phase of many trees enabling fast track breeding.
authors.affiliation: The Flowering Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. Electronic address: j.putterill@auckland.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Putterill
authors.affiliation: The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Varkonyi-Gasic
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D060405:Florigen / Q000378:metabolism*; D035264:Flowers / Q000254:growth & development*; D063245:Plant Development / Q000235:genetics*; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000378:metabolism*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014197:Trees / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; C418905:FT protein, Arabidopsis; D060405:Florigen; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D010940:Plant Proteins