title: DOAP1Promotes Flowering in the OrchidDendrobiumChao Praya Smile.
abstract: APETALA1(AP1) encodes a key MADS-box transcription factor that specifies the floral meristem identity on the flank of the inflorescence meristem, and determines the identity of perianth floral organs in the model plantArabidopsis thaliana. Orchids are members of the Orchidaceae, one of the largest families of angiosperms. Although the expression patterns of a fewAP1-like genes in orchids have been reported, their actual functions in orchid reproductive development are so far largely unknown. In this study, we isolated and characterized anAP1ortholog,DOAP1, fromDendrobiumChao Praya Smile.DOAP1was highly expressed in reproductive tissues, including inflorescence apices and flowers at various developmental stages. Overexpression ofDOAP1resulted in early flowering inArabidopsis, and was able to rescue the floral organ defects ofArabidopsis ap1mutants. Moreover, we successfully created transgenicDendrobiumChao Praya Smile orchids overexpressingDOAP1, which displayed earlier flowering and earlier termination of inflorescence meristems into floral meristems than wild-type orchids. Our results demonstrate thatDOAP1plays an evolutionarily conserved role in promoting flowering and floral meristem specification in the Orchidaceae family.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen UniversityKhon Kaen, Thailand; Department of Biological Sciences and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of SingaporeSingapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Nunchanoke
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sawettalake
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University Khon Kaen, Thailand.
authors.forename: Sumontip
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bunnag
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Yanwen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Lisha
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
keywords: Arabidopsis; DOAP1; MADS-box gene; flower development; flowering time; orchid