The juvenile-to-adult phase change with first flowering as the indicator plays a crucial role in the lifecycle of fruit trees. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying phase change in fruit trees remain largely un...The juvenile-to-adult phase change with first flowering as the indicator plays a crucial role in the lifecycle of fruit trees. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying phase change in fruit trees remain largely unknown. Shikimic acid (ShA) pathway is a main metabolic pathway closely related to the synthesis of hormones and many important secondary metabolites participating in plant phase change. So,whether ShA regulates phase change in plants is worth clarifying. Here, the distinct morphological characteristics and the underlying mechanisms of phase change in jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.), an important fruit tree native to China with nutritious fruit and outstanding tolerance abiotic stresses, were clarified. A combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis found that ShA is positively involved in jujube(Yuhong’×Xing 16’) phase change. The genes in the upstream of ShA synthesis pathway (ZjDAHPS, ZjDHQS and ZjSDH), the contents of ShA and the downstream secondary metabolites like phenols were significantly upregulated in the phase change period. Further, the treatment of spraying exogenous ShA verified that ShA at a very low concentration (60 mg·L^(-1)) can substantially speed up the phase change and flowering of jujube and other tested plants including Arabidopsis, tomato and wheat. The exogenous ShA (60 mg·L^(-1)) treatment in jujube seedlings could increase the accumulation of endogenous ShA, enhance leaf photosynthesis and the synthesis of phenols especially flavonoids and phenolic acids, and promote the expression of genes (ZjCOs, ZjNFYs and ZjPHYs) involved in flowering pathway. Basing on above results, we put forward a propose for the underlying mechanism of ShA regulating phase change, and a hypothesis that ShA could be considered a phytohormone-like substance because it is endogenous, ubiquitous, movable and highly efficient at very low concentrations. This study highlights the critical role of ShA in plant phase change and its phytohormone-like properties.展开更多
The article presents the biology of flowering and the daily dynamics of flowering of two species from the Lamiaceae family: ph. anisochila va ph. sogdiana of the distribution out in the Nuratau Mountains range.
Studying on the genetic diversity and genetic relationship of flowering cherry cultivars is extremely important for germplasm conservation, cultivar identification and breeding. Flowering cherry is widely cultivated a...Studying on the genetic diversity and genetic relationship of flowering cherry cultivars is extremely important for germplasm conservation, cultivar identification and breeding. Flowering cherry is widely cultivated as an important woody ornamental plant in worldwide, especially Japan, China. However, owning to the morphological similarity, many cultivars are distinguished hardly in non-flowering season. Here, we evaluated the genetic diversity and genetic relationship of 40 flowering cherry cultivars, which are mainly cultivated in China. We selected 13 polymorphicprimers to amplify to allele fragments with fluorescent-labeled capillary electrophoresis technology. The population structure analysis results show that these cultivars could be divided into 4 subpopulations. At the population level, N<sub>a</sub> and N<sub>e</sub> were 6.062, 4.326, respectively. H<sub>o</sub> and H<sub>e</sub> were 0.458 and 0.670, respectively. The Shannon’s information index (I) was 1.417. The Pop3, which originated from P. serrulata, had the highest H<sub>o</sub>, H<sub>e</sub>, and I among the 4 subpopulations. AMOVA showed that only 4% of genetic variation came from populations, the 39% variation came from individuals and 57% (p < 0.05) came from intra-individuals. 5 polymorphic SSR primers were selected to construct molecular ID code system of these cultivars. This analysis on the genetic diversity and relationship of the 40 flowering cherry cultivars will help to insight into the genetic background, relationship of these flowering cherry cultivars and promote to identify similar cultivars.展开更多
Flowering time is a key agronomic trait that directly affect the adaptation and yield of soybean.After whole genome duplications,about 75%of genes being represented by multiple copies in soybean.There are four TERMINA...Flowering time is a key agronomic trait that directly affect the adaptation and yield of soybean.After whole genome duplications,about 75%of genes being represented by multiple copies in soybean.There are four TERMINAL FLOWER 1(TFL1)genes in soybean,and the TFL1b(Dt1)has been characterized as the determinant of stem growth habit.The function of other TFL1 homologs in soybean is still unclear.Here,we generated knockout mutants by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology and found that the tfl1c/tfl1d double mutants flowered significantly earlier than wild-type plants.We investigated that TFL1c and TFL1d could physically interact with the b ZIP transcription factor FDc1 and bind to the promoter of APETALA1a(AP1a).RNA-seq and q RT-PCR analyses indicated that TFL1c and TFL1d repressed the expressions of the four AP1 homologs and delayed the flowering time in soybean.The two genes play important roles in the regulation of flowering time in soybean and mainly act as the flowering inhibitors under long-day conditions.Our results identify novel components in the flowering-time regulation network of soybean and will be invaluable for molecular breeding of improved soybean yield.展开更多
Flowering time(FT) is a key maize domestication trait, variation in which allows maize to grow in a wide range of latitudes. Although previous studies have investigated the genetic control of FT-related traits per se,...Flowering time(FT) is a key maize domestication trait, variation in which allows maize to grow in a wide range of latitudes. Although previous studies have investigated the genetic control of FT-related traits per se, few studies of FT hybrid performance have been published. We characterized the genomic architecture associated with hybrid performance for FT in a hybrid panel by testcrossing Chang 7–2 with 328Ye478 × Qi319 recombinant inbred lines(RILs). We identified 11 quantitative trait loci(QTL) for hybrid performance in FT-related traits, including a major QTL qFH10 that controls hybrid performance and heterosis in a summer maize-growing region. However, this locus acts in regulating FT traits per se only in a spring maize-growing region. We validated ZmCCT10 as a candidate gene for qFH10 and found that differences between hybrids and their parental lines in DNA methylation in the differentially methylated region(DMR, –700 to –1520) of the ZmCCT10 promoter affected gene expression pattern and thereby FT in the summer maize-growing region.展开更多
Vernalization is a process of acquiring or accelerating the flowering ability by prolonged cold exposure.VERNALIZATION INSENSITIVE3(VIN3)is induced by chilling and is extremely important for the vernalization response...Vernalization is a process of acquiring or accelerating the flowering ability by prolonged cold exposure.VERNALIZATION INSENSITIVE3(VIN3)is induced by chilling and is extremely important for the vernalization response in Arabidopsis thaliana.However,the issue of the induction of the VIN3-LIKE genes in wintersweet(Chimonanthus praecox)has been largely neglected.In the present study,we explored the molecular regulation of the PHD type finger protein-encoding gene CpVIL2 in relation to the growth and development of wintersweet in Arabidopsis.In wintersweet,quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR)analysis showed that the relative expression of CpVIL2-As2i(intron-retained alternatively spliced in the second intron)was extremely higher in the pistils than in the other tissues.And the relative CpVIL2-As2i expression in flower buds(FBs)treated at 8°C was higher than that of FBs in December,2016 under natural conditions,which was not detected in non-flowering FBs at 16°C.In Arabidopsis,the expression patterns of the CpVIL2-As2i gene were detected at first in CpVIL2-As2i pro::GUS(β-glucuronidase)lines,with predominantly higher expression in flowers and inflorescence.Meanwhile,the hormone-induced expression profiles of the CpVIL2-As2i promoter were confirmed using exogenous induction by abscisic acid(ABA)and indole acetic acid(IAA)phytohormones,where the GUS enzyme activity obviously decreased compared with that of control.In comparison with Arabidopsis/Col-0,early flowering was detected in ectopic 35S::CpVIL2-As2i lines.Overall,these results demonstrated the function of the CpVIL2-As2i gene,at the same time,provided us with new insights into the molecular mechanisms of early flowering and complex regulatory networks of vernalization in wintersweet.展开更多
Early flowering promotes early maturity, production, and the capacity to counteract biotic and abiotic stresses, making it an important agronomic trait in zucchini. The present study demonstrated that the zucchini inb...Early flowering promotes early maturity, production, and the capacity to counteract biotic and abiotic stresses, making it an important agronomic trait in zucchini. The present study demonstrated that the zucchini inbred line ‘19’ consistently flowered early, taking significantly fewer days to bloom the first female flower(DFF) than the inbred line ‘113’. Genetic analysis revealed that DFF, an inheritable quantitative trait, is controlled by multiple genes. Based on the strategy of quantitative trait locus(QTL) sequencing(QTL-seq) combined with linkage analysis, three QTLs for DFF were identified on chromosomes 4, 11, and 20. This study used additional F2 populations grown under different environmental conditions for QTL mapping analysis of DFF with insertion/deletion(InDel) markers to validate these results. Using the composite interval mapping(CIM) method of R/qtl software, we only identified one major locus under all environmental conditions, located in a 117-kb candidate region on chromosome 20. Based on gene annotation, gene sequence alignment, and qRT-PCR analysis, we found that the Cp4.1LG20g08050 gene encoding a RING finger protein may be a candidate gene for the opposite regulation of early flowering in zucchini. In summary, these results lay a foundation for a better understanding of early flowering and improving early flowering-based breeding strategies in zucchini.展开更多
Flowering time is an important agronomic trait of Chinese cabbage with late flowering being a primary breeding objective.In our previous work,we obtained Chinese cabbage-cabbage translocation lines that contained seve...Flowering time is an important agronomic trait of Chinese cabbage with late flowering being a primary breeding objective.In our previous work,we obtained Chinese cabbage-cabbage translocation lines that contained several beneficial cabbage genes.Cabbage-specific molecular markers show that these genes were coming from chromosome C01 of cabbage.In this study,we investigated the inheritance of flowering time in a couple of translocation lines and analyzed the transmission rate of molecular markers in the offspring.Consequently,we obtained the late flowering Chinese cabbage-cabbage translocation line‘AT7–4’in which the flowering time was later than that of‘85–1’by about 7 days under 4-week vernalization.Based on previous studies of the genomes of Chinese cabbage and cabbage,we located the cabbage-specific molecular markers that were closely linked at the top of the chromosome A01 in the F2mapping population generated by self-crossing F1s derived from a cross between the translocation line‘AT7–4’and Chinese cabbage‘14–36’.Five flowering-related genes in the alien fragment were found by functional annotation and their molecular markers were developed.This study lays the foundation for the future improvement of Chinese cabbage varieties using A-C translocation lines.展开更多
Glucosinolates(GSLs) and their hydrolytic products contribute to the quality traits of rapeseed flowering stalk tissues, such as taste, flavor and anticarcinogenic properties(Glucoraphanin). However, little is known a...Glucosinolates(GSLs) and their hydrolytic products contribute to the quality traits of rapeseed flowering stalk tissues, such as taste, flavor and anticarcinogenic properties(Glucoraphanin). However, little is known about the genetic mechanisms of GSL accumulation in rapeseed flowering stalks. In this study, the variation and genetic architecture of GSL metabolites in flowering stalk tissues were investigated for the first time among a panel of 107 accessions. All GSL compounds exhibited continuous and wide variations in the present population. Progoitrin,glucobrassicanapin and gluconapin were the most abundant GSL compounds. Five quantitative trait loci(QTL) significantly associated with three GSL compounds were identified by genome-wide association study. GRA_C04 was under selected during modern breeding, in which the ratio of lower GSL haplotype(HAP2) in the accessions bred before 1990(52.56%) was significantly lower than that after 1990(78.95%). Four candidate genes, BnaA01. SOT16, BnaA06. SOT17, Bna A06. MYB51a, and Bna A06. MYB51b, were identified in the GTL_A01 and 4OH_A06 regions.These findings provide new insights into GSL biosynthesis in flowering stalk tissues and facilitate quality improvement in rapeseed flowering stalks.展开更多
Rose(Rosa chinensis),which is an economically valuable floral species worldwide,has three types,namely once-flowering(OF),occasional or re-blooming(OR),and recurrent or continuous flowering(CF).However,the mechanism u...Rose(Rosa chinensis),which is an economically valuable floral species worldwide,has three types,namely once-flowering(OF),occasional or re-blooming(OR),and recurrent or continuous flowering(CF).However,the mechanism underlying the effect of the age pathway on the duration of the CF or OF juvenile phase is largely unknown.In this study,we observed that the RcSPL1 transcript levels were substantially upregulated during the floral development period in CF and OF plants.Additionally,accumulation of RcSPL1 protein was controlled by rch-miR156.The ectopic expression of RcSPL1 in Arabidopsis thaliana accelerated the vegetative phase transition and flowering.Furthermore,the transient overexpression of RcSPL1 in rose plants accelerated flowering,whereas silencing of RcSPL1 had the opposite phenotype.Accordingly,the transcription levels of floral meristem identity genes(APETALA1,FRUITFULL,and LEAFY)were significantly affected by the changes in RcSPL1 expression.RcTAF15b protein,which is an autonomous pathway protein,was revealed to interact with RcSPL1.The silencing and overexpression of RcTAF15b in rose plants led to delayed and accelerated flowering,respectively.Collectively,the study findings imply that RcSPL1–RcTAF15b modulates the flowering time of rose plants.展开更多
Water insufficiency is the hampering feature of crop sustainability,especially in arid and semi-arid regions.So,the effectual usage of all water resources especially underground brackish water represents the core prio...Water insufficiency is the hampering feature of crop sustainability,especially in arid and semi-arid regions.So,the effectual usage of all water resources especially underground brackish water represents the core priority in Saudi Arabia.The present study aimed to recognize the influence of different types of water irrigation(tap water as a control,salinized well water,and magnetized salinized well water)with or without soil amendments(soil without any amendment as a control,peat-moss,ferrous sulfate,and peat-moss plus ferrous sulfate)on petunia plant growth and flowering as well as ion content.Irrigating Petunia plants with saline well water adversely affected growth and flowering as compared to tap water and magnetized saline well water.Additionally,plants irrigated with magnetized water showed a significant enhancement in all the studied vegetative and flowering growth parameters as compared to those irrigated with salinized well water.Furthermore,mineral contents and survival of Petunia plants irrigated with magnetized well water were higher than those irrigated with tap water.Irrigation with magnetized well water significantly reduced levels of Na+and Cl−ions in leaves of Petunia plants indicating the role of magnetization in alleviating harmful effects of salinity.In conclusion,we recommend the utilization of magnetized saline well water for irrigating Petunia plants either alone or in combination with soil amendments(peat moss plus ferrous sulfate).展开更多
EARLY FLOWERING 3(ELF3),a light zeitnehmer(time-taker)gene,regulates circadian rhythm and photoperiodic flowering in Arabidopsis,rice,and barley.The three orthologs of ELF3(TaELF3-1AL,TaELF3-1BL,and TaELF3-1DL)have be...EARLY FLOWERING 3(ELF3),a light zeitnehmer(time-taker)gene,regulates circadian rhythm and photoperiodic flowering in Arabidopsis,rice,and barley.The three orthologs of ELF3(TaELF3-1AL,TaELF3-1BL,and TaELF3-1DL)have been identified in wheat too,and one gene,TaELF3-1DL,has been associated with heading date.However,the basic characteristics of these three genes and the roles of the other two genes,TaELF3-1BL and,TaELF3-1AL,remain unknown.Therefore,the present study obtained the coding sequences of the three orthologs(TaELF3-1AL,TaELF3-1BL,and TaELF3-1DL)of ELF3 from bread wheat and characterized them and investigated the role of TaELF3-1BL in Arabidopsis.Protein sequence comparison revealed similarities among the three TaELF3 genes of wheat;however,they were different from the Arabidopsis ELF3.Real-time quantitative PCR revealed TaELF3 expression in all wheat tissues tested,with the highest expression in young spikes;the three genes showed rhythmic expression patterns also.Furthermore,the overexpression of the TaELF3-1BL gene in Arabidopsis delayed flowering,indicating their importance in flowering.Subsequent overexpression of TaELF3-1BL in the Arabidopsis ELF3 nonfunctional mutant(elf3 mutant)eliminated its early flowering phenotype,and slightly delayed flowering.The wild-type Arabidopsis overexpressing TaELF3-1BL demonstrated reduced expression levels of flowering-related genes,such as CONSTANS(AtCO),FLOWERING LOCUS T(AtFT),and GIGANTEA(AtGI).Thus,the study characterized the three TaELF3 genes and associated TaELF3-1BL with flowering in Arabidopsis,suggesting a role in regulating flowering in wheat too.These findings provide a basis for further research on TaELF3 functions in wheat.展开更多
In this study,newly sprouted shoots of Zanthoxylum armatum(Z.armatum),which were collected after the harvesting period,were used as the primary experimental specimens.A randomized block design and paraffin sectioning ...In this study,newly sprouted shoots of Zanthoxylum armatum(Z.armatum),which were collected after the harvesting period,were used as the primary experimental specimens.A randomized block design and paraffin sectioning method were used to investigate the flower bud differentiation process and the quantity and vitality of buds.Furthermore,the study examined the response of flowering and fruiting to cultivation methods for shoot growth,including layering and plant growth regulator application.The results showed that(a)layering and application of plant growth regulators for Z.armatum accelerated the process of flower bud differentiation by approximately 20 days compared to the control group.Additionally,both shoot control methods generated more and larger bud primordia and perianth primordia during the same differentiation phase.(b)The application of plant growth regulators resulted in well-developed buds,exhibiting higher levels of flower bud differentiation than the layering method.The quality of flower bud formation for both shoot control methods was superior to that of the control group.(c)The flowering phenological period was relatively consistent between the two cultivation methods,but the fruit maturity phase for shoot-controlled trees occurred 20 days earlier than the control group.(d)Both layering and the application of plant growth regulators significantly decreased the rates of unfertilized flower shedding and fruit shedding.However,no significant difference was noted in fruit setting per inflorescence and per flower between the two methods and the control.The effect of altitude for both methods on the fruit setting was not significant.Under both shoot control methods,the Z.armatum exhibited earlier morphological differentiation of flower buds,faster differentiation process,improved flower bud quality,and significantly decreased rates of flower and fruit shedding.Thus,these cultivation methods demonstrated the potential to promote flowering,improve fruit setting,and reduce fruit shedding in Z.armatum.展开更多
There are many varieties of vegetables in Cruciferae,which have a wide distribution and occupy an important position in the global vegetable industry.The bolting period is a crucial stage in the growth cycle of crucif...There are many varieties of vegetables in Cruciferae,which have a wide distribution and occupy an important position in the global vegetable industry.The bolting period is a crucial stage in the growth cycle of cruciferous plants,which directly affects the yield and quality of vegetable crops.This paper summarized the research progress on the physiological and biochemical characteristics,molecular genetic mechanisms and molecular markers of the flowering and bolting traits in cruciferous vegetables,in order to provide new ideas for revealing the regulatory mechanisms of flowering and bolting in cruciferous vegetables and to provide reference for the breeding of new varieties of cruciferous vegetables that are resistant to flowering.展开更多
Plant migration and gene flow from genetically modified or exotic trees to nearby lands or by crossing with wild relatives is a major public and regulatory concern.Many genetic strategies exist to mitigate potential g...Plant migration and gene flow from genetically modified or exotic trees to nearby lands or by crossing with wild relatives is a major public and regulatory concern.Many genetic strategies exist to mitigate potential gene flow;however,the long delay in onset of flow-ering is a severe constraint to research progress.We used heat-induced FT overexpression to speed assessment of the expected floral phenotypes after CRISPR knockout of poplar homologs of the key floral genes,LEAFY and AGAMOUS.We selected events with previously characterized CRISPR-Cas9 induced biallelic changes then re-transformed them with the Arabidopsis thaliana FLOWERING LOCUS T(AtFT)gene under control of either a strong constitutive promoter or a heat-inducible promoter.We successfully obtained flowering in both a male and female clone of poplar,observing a wide range of inflorescence and floral forms among flowers,ramets,and insertion events.Overall,flowers obtained from the selected LFY and AG targeted events were consistent with what would be predicted for loss-of-function of these genes.LFY-targeted events showed small catkins with leaf-like organs,AG-targeted events had nested floral organs consistent with reduction in floral determinacy and absence of well-formed carpels or anthers.These findings demonstrate the great developmental plasticity of Populus flowers during genetically accelerated flowering,which may be of horticultural value.They also provide an informative early view of floral phenotypes and apparent sterility from knockouts of both these gene targets.展开更多
Loquat(Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.)is an evergreen fruit tree species of the Rosaceae,and its unique flowering time greatly hinders its production.To explore the artificial regulation of loquat flowering time,we remove...Loquat(Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.)is an evergreen fruit tree species of the Rosaceae,and its unique flowering time greatly hinders its production.To explore the artificial regulation of loquat flowering time,we removed the main inflorescence(by cutting it)to induce reflowering.For different loquat tree cultivars with different stages,the inflorescence was removed by cutting the main floral axis at two alternative positions:the upper or the lower position beneath the inflorescence,and it was found that the proportion of reflowering resulting from removing the upper position of the main floral axis of yellow-flesh loquat cultivars during the full-bloom stage was the highest.In addition,compared with those of the normal-growing panicles,the number of flower buds and branch axes of the reflowering panicles decreased significantly after cutting.Importantly,these newly produced inflorescences flowered 2–4 months later than normal-growing inflorescences did,effectively prolonging both the flowering and fruiting time.In addition,qRT-PCR results showed that EjFT1,EjFT2,EjAP1–1 and EjAP1–2 were highly expressed in the floral axis.These findings highlighted a new method for extending the production cycle of loquat and provided a reference for the flowering regulation of loquat and other economically important fruit tree species.展开更多
Global warming has caused frequent occurrence of heat stress at the flowering stage of single-season rice in the Yangtze River region of China, which results in declines of spikelet fertility and yield in rice. Rice f...Global warming has caused frequent occurrence of heat stress at the flowering stage of single-season rice in the Yangtze River region of China, which results in declines of spikelet fertility and yield in rice. Rice flowering stage is the most sensitive period to high temperatures, and therefore, the key for heat stress happening is the flowering stage coinciding with high temperature, which causes spikelet fertility decreasing in heat-sensitive varieties, and is the major factor for heat injury differences among various rice planting regions. With the development of rice breeding, temperature indexes for heat stress has been converted from daily maximum temperature of 35 oC to 38 oC with the stress duration of more than 3 d. During the flowering stage, anther dehiscence inhibition and low pollen shedding onto the stigma are two main reasons for spikelet fertility reduction under high temperatures. At panicle initiation stage, high temperatures aggravate spikelet degeneration, and destroy floral organ development. Various types of rice varieties coexist in production, and indica-japonica hybrid rice demonstrates the highest heat resistance in general, followed by indica and japonica rice varieties. In production, avoiding high temperature is the main strategy of preventing heat stress, and planting suitable cultivars and adjustment of sowing date are the most effective measures. Irrigation is an effective real-time cultivation measure to decline the canopy temperature during the rice flowering stage. We suggested that further study should be focused on exploring heat injury differences among different rice variety types, and innovating rice-planting methods according to planting system changes in rice planting regions with extreme heat stress. Meanwhile, high temperature monitor and warning systems should be improved to achieve optimal heat stress management efficiencies.展开更多
基金partially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.31772285)the National Key R&D Program Project Funding (Grant No.2018YFD1000607)Foundation for 100 Innovative Talents of Hebei Province(Grant No.SLRC2019031)。
文摘The juvenile-to-adult phase change with first flowering as the indicator plays a crucial role in the lifecycle of fruit trees. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying phase change in fruit trees remain largely unknown. Shikimic acid (ShA) pathway is a main metabolic pathway closely related to the synthesis of hormones and many important secondary metabolites participating in plant phase change. So,whether ShA regulates phase change in plants is worth clarifying. Here, the distinct morphological characteristics and the underlying mechanisms of phase change in jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.), an important fruit tree native to China with nutritious fruit and outstanding tolerance abiotic stresses, were clarified. A combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis found that ShA is positively involved in jujube(Yuhong’×Xing 16’) phase change. The genes in the upstream of ShA synthesis pathway (ZjDAHPS, ZjDHQS and ZjSDH), the contents of ShA and the downstream secondary metabolites like phenols were significantly upregulated in the phase change period. Further, the treatment of spraying exogenous ShA verified that ShA at a very low concentration (60 mg·L^(-1)) can substantially speed up the phase change and flowering of jujube and other tested plants including Arabidopsis, tomato and wheat. The exogenous ShA (60 mg·L^(-1)) treatment in jujube seedlings could increase the accumulation of endogenous ShA, enhance leaf photosynthesis and the synthesis of phenols especially flavonoids and phenolic acids, and promote the expression of genes (ZjCOs, ZjNFYs and ZjPHYs) involved in flowering pathway. Basing on above results, we put forward a propose for the underlying mechanism of ShA regulating phase change, and a hypothesis that ShA could be considered a phytohormone-like substance because it is endogenous, ubiquitous, movable and highly efficient at very low concentrations. This study highlights the critical role of ShA in plant phase change and its phytohormone-like properties.
文摘The article presents the biology of flowering and the daily dynamics of flowering of two species from the Lamiaceae family: ph. anisochila va ph. sogdiana of the distribution out in the Nuratau Mountains range.
文摘Studying on the genetic diversity and genetic relationship of flowering cherry cultivars is extremely important for germplasm conservation, cultivar identification and breeding. Flowering cherry is widely cultivated as an important woody ornamental plant in worldwide, especially Japan, China. However, owning to the morphological similarity, many cultivars are distinguished hardly in non-flowering season. Here, we evaluated the genetic diversity and genetic relationship of 40 flowering cherry cultivars, which are mainly cultivated in China. We selected 13 polymorphicprimers to amplify to allele fragments with fluorescent-labeled capillary electrophoresis technology. The population structure analysis results show that these cultivars could be divided into 4 subpopulations. At the population level, N<sub>a</sub> and N<sub>e</sub> were 6.062, 4.326, respectively. H<sub>o</sub> and H<sub>e</sub> were 0.458 and 0.670, respectively. The Shannon’s information index (I) was 1.417. The Pop3, which originated from P. serrulata, had the highest H<sub>o</sub>, H<sub>e</sub>, and I among the 4 subpopulations. AMOVA showed that only 4% of genetic variation came from populations, the 39% variation came from individuals and 57% (p < 0.05) came from intra-individuals. 5 polymorphic SSR primers were selected to construct molecular ID code system of these cultivars. This analysis on the genetic diversity and relationship of the 40 flowering cherry cultivars will help to insight into the genetic background, relationship of these flowering cherry cultivars and promote to identify similar cultivars.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32022062,32001503)the Science and Technology Innovation Team of Soybean Modern Seed Industry in Hebei(21326313D)。
文摘Flowering time is a key agronomic trait that directly affect the adaptation and yield of soybean.After whole genome duplications,about 75%of genes being represented by multiple copies in soybean.There are four TERMINAL FLOWER 1(TFL1)genes in soybean,and the TFL1b(Dt1)has been characterized as the determinant of stem growth habit.The function of other TFL1 homologs in soybean is still unclear.Here,we generated knockout mutants by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology and found that the tfl1c/tfl1d double mutants flowered significantly earlier than wild-type plants.We investigated that TFL1c and TFL1d could physically interact with the b ZIP transcription factor FDc1 and bind to the promoter of APETALA1a(AP1a).RNA-seq and q RT-PCR analyses indicated that TFL1c and TFL1d repressed the expressions of the four AP1 homologs and delayed the flowering time in soybean.The two genes play important roles in the regulation of flowering time in soybean and mainly act as the flowering inhibitors under long-day conditions.Our results identify novel components in the flowering-time regulation network of soybean and will be invaluable for molecular breeding of improved soybean yield.
基金jointly funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31971963)Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program of CAAS。
文摘Flowering time(FT) is a key maize domestication trait, variation in which allows maize to grow in a wide range of latitudes. Although previous studies have investigated the genetic control of FT-related traits per se, few studies of FT hybrid performance have been published. We characterized the genomic architecture associated with hybrid performance for FT in a hybrid panel by testcrossing Chang 7–2 with 328Ye478 × Qi319 recombinant inbred lines(RILs). We identified 11 quantitative trait loci(QTL) for hybrid performance in FT-related traits, including a major QTL qFH10 that controls hybrid performance and heterosis in a summer maize-growing region. However, this locus acts in regulating FT traits per se only in a spring maize-growing region. We validated ZmCCT10 as a candidate gene for qFH10 and found that differences between hybrids and their parental lines in DNA methylation in the differentially methylated region(DMR, –700 to –1520) of the ZmCCT10 promoter affected gene expression pattern and thereby FT in the summer maize-growing region.
基金supported by the Grants from the Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing(No.cstc2020jcyj-msxmX1014)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.XDJK2020B059)National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.31971711).
文摘Vernalization is a process of acquiring or accelerating the flowering ability by prolonged cold exposure.VERNALIZATION INSENSITIVE3(VIN3)is induced by chilling and is extremely important for the vernalization response in Arabidopsis thaliana.However,the issue of the induction of the VIN3-LIKE genes in wintersweet(Chimonanthus praecox)has been largely neglected.In the present study,we explored the molecular regulation of the PHD type finger protein-encoding gene CpVIL2 in relation to the growth and development of wintersweet in Arabidopsis.In wintersweet,quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR)analysis showed that the relative expression of CpVIL2-As2i(intron-retained alternatively spliced in the second intron)was extremely higher in the pistils than in the other tissues.And the relative CpVIL2-As2i expression in flower buds(FBs)treated at 8°C was higher than that of FBs in December,2016 under natural conditions,which was not detected in non-flowering FBs at 16°C.In Arabidopsis,the expression patterns of the CpVIL2-As2i gene were detected at first in CpVIL2-As2i pro::GUS(β-glucuronidase)lines,with predominantly higher expression in flowers and inflorescence.Meanwhile,the hormone-induced expression profiles of the CpVIL2-As2i promoter were confirmed using exogenous induction by abscisic acid(ABA)and indole acetic acid(IAA)phytohormones,where the GUS enzyme activity obviously decreased compared with that of control.In comparison with Arabidopsis/Col-0,early flowering was detected in ectopic 35S::CpVIL2-As2i lines.Overall,these results demonstrated the function of the CpVIL2-As2i gene,at the same time,provided us with new insights into the molecular mechanisms of early flowering and complex regulatory networks of vernalization in wintersweet.
基金supported by the grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32072590 and 32002051)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2019M661244)the Academic Backbone Foundation of Northeast Agricultural University, China (20XG03)。
文摘Early flowering promotes early maturity, production, and the capacity to counteract biotic and abiotic stresses, making it an important agronomic trait in zucchini. The present study demonstrated that the zucchini inbred line ‘19’ consistently flowered early, taking significantly fewer days to bloom the first female flower(DFF) than the inbred line ‘113’. Genetic analysis revealed that DFF, an inheritable quantitative trait, is controlled by multiple genes. Based on the strategy of quantitative trait locus(QTL) sequencing(QTL-seq) combined with linkage analysis, three QTLs for DFF were identified on chromosomes 4, 11, and 20. This study used additional F2 populations grown under different environmental conditions for QTL mapping analysis of DFF with insertion/deletion(InDel) markers to validate these results. Using the composite interval mapping(CIM) method of R/qtl software, we only identified one major locus under all environmental conditions, located in a 117-kb candidate region on chromosome 20. Based on gene annotation, gene sequence alignment, and qRT-PCR analysis, we found that the Cp4.1LG20g08050 gene encoding a RING finger protein may be a candidate gene for the opposite regulation of early flowering in zucchini. In summary, these results lay a foundation for a better understanding of early flowering and improving early flowering-based breeding strategies in zucchini.
基金supported by the State Key Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.31930098,31772324)Hebei Provincial Natural Science Fund for Distinguished Young(Grant No.C2020204063)+6 种基金Natural Science Foundation and basic research project in Hebei Province(Grant No.18966925D)the Innovative Research Group Project of Hebei Natural Science Foundation(Grant No.C2020204111)the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program of CAAS(Grant No.CAASXTCX2019025)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.31672151)the Science and Technology Support Program of Hebei(Grant No.16226304D-2)Science and Technology Research Project of Universities in Hebei Province(BJ2019020)the International Science and Technology Cooperation base Special Project of Hebei(Grant No.20592901D)。
文摘Flowering time is an important agronomic trait of Chinese cabbage with late flowering being a primary breeding objective.In our previous work,we obtained Chinese cabbage-cabbage translocation lines that contained several beneficial cabbage genes.Cabbage-specific molecular markers show that these genes were coming from chromosome C01 of cabbage.In this study,we investigated the inheritance of flowering time in a couple of translocation lines and analyzed the transmission rate of molecular markers in the offspring.Consequently,we obtained the late flowering Chinese cabbage-cabbage translocation line‘AT7–4’in which the flowering time was later than that of‘85–1’by about 7 days under 4-week vernalization.Based on previous studies of the genomes of Chinese cabbage and cabbage,we located the cabbage-specific molecular markers that were closely linked at the top of the chromosome A01 in the F2mapping population generated by self-crossing F1s derived from a cross between the translocation line‘AT7–4’and Chinese cabbage‘14–36’.Five flowering-related genes in the alien fragment were found by functional annotation and their molecular markers were developed.This study lays the foundation for the future improvement of Chinese cabbage varieties using A-C translocation lines.
基金supported by the Key Research and Development project of Hubei Province (Grant Nos. 2020BBB083, 2021BBA097 and 2021BBA102)the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFD0100202)。
文摘Glucosinolates(GSLs) and their hydrolytic products contribute to the quality traits of rapeseed flowering stalk tissues, such as taste, flavor and anticarcinogenic properties(Glucoraphanin). However, little is known about the genetic mechanisms of GSL accumulation in rapeseed flowering stalks. In this study, the variation and genetic architecture of GSL metabolites in flowering stalk tissues were investigated for the first time among a panel of 107 accessions. All GSL compounds exhibited continuous and wide variations in the present population. Progoitrin,glucobrassicanapin and gluconapin were the most abundant GSL compounds. Five quantitative trait loci(QTL) significantly associated with three GSL compounds were identified by genome-wide association study. GRA_C04 was under selected during modern breeding, in which the ratio of lower GSL haplotype(HAP2) in the accessions bred before 1990(52.56%) was significantly lower than that after 1990(78.95%). Four candidate genes, BnaA01. SOT16, BnaA06. SOT17, Bna A06. MYB51a, and Bna A06. MYB51b, were identified in the GTL_A01 and 4OH_A06 regions.These findings provide new insights into GSL biosynthesis in flowering stalk tissues and facilitate quality improvement in rapeseed flowering stalks.
基金This work was funded by Guest Investigator Grant of the State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics,Institute of Microbiology,Chinese Academy of Science(SKLPG2016A-29)。
文摘Rose(Rosa chinensis),which is an economically valuable floral species worldwide,has three types,namely once-flowering(OF),occasional or re-blooming(OR),and recurrent or continuous flowering(CF).However,the mechanism underlying the effect of the age pathway on the duration of the CF or OF juvenile phase is largely unknown.In this study,we observed that the RcSPL1 transcript levels were substantially upregulated during the floral development period in CF and OF plants.Additionally,accumulation of RcSPL1 protein was controlled by rch-miR156.The ectopic expression of RcSPL1 in Arabidopsis thaliana accelerated the vegetative phase transition and flowering.Furthermore,the transient overexpression of RcSPL1 in rose plants accelerated flowering,whereas silencing of RcSPL1 had the opposite phenotype.Accordingly,the transcription levels of floral meristem identity genes(APETALA1,FRUITFULL,and LEAFY)were significantly affected by the changes in RcSPL1 expression.RcTAF15b protein,which is an autonomous pathway protein,was revealed to interact with RcSPL1.The silencing and overexpression of RcTAF15b in rose plants led to delayed and accelerated flowering,respectively.Collectively,the study findings imply that RcSPL1–RcTAF15b modulates the flowering time of rose plants.
基金funded by Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology,Saudi Arabia(Grant Research No.1-17-04-001-0021).
文摘Water insufficiency is the hampering feature of crop sustainability,especially in arid and semi-arid regions.So,the effectual usage of all water resources especially underground brackish water represents the core priority in Saudi Arabia.The present study aimed to recognize the influence of different types of water irrigation(tap water as a control,salinized well water,and magnetized salinized well water)with or without soil amendments(soil without any amendment as a control,peat-moss,ferrous sulfate,and peat-moss plus ferrous sulfate)on petunia plant growth and flowering as well as ion content.Irrigating Petunia plants with saline well water adversely affected growth and flowering as compared to tap water and magnetized saline well water.Additionally,plants irrigated with magnetized water showed a significant enhancement in all the studied vegetative and flowering growth parameters as compared to those irrigated with salinized well water.Furthermore,mineral contents and survival of Petunia plants irrigated with magnetized well water were higher than those irrigated with tap water.Irrigation with magnetized well water significantly reduced levels of Na+and Cl−ions in leaves of Petunia plants indicating the role of magnetization in alleviating harmful effects of salinity.In conclusion,we recommend the utilization of magnetized saline well water for irrigating Petunia plants either alone or in combination with soil amendments(peat moss plus ferrous sulfate).
文摘EARLY FLOWERING 3(ELF3),a light zeitnehmer(time-taker)gene,regulates circadian rhythm and photoperiodic flowering in Arabidopsis,rice,and barley.The three orthologs of ELF3(TaELF3-1AL,TaELF3-1BL,and TaELF3-1DL)have been identified in wheat too,and one gene,TaELF3-1DL,has been associated with heading date.However,the basic characteristics of these three genes and the roles of the other two genes,TaELF3-1BL and,TaELF3-1AL,remain unknown.Therefore,the present study obtained the coding sequences of the three orthologs(TaELF3-1AL,TaELF3-1BL,and TaELF3-1DL)of ELF3 from bread wheat and characterized them and investigated the role of TaELF3-1BL in Arabidopsis.Protein sequence comparison revealed similarities among the three TaELF3 genes of wheat;however,they were different from the Arabidopsis ELF3.Real-time quantitative PCR revealed TaELF3 expression in all wheat tissues tested,with the highest expression in young spikes;the three genes showed rhythmic expression patterns also.Furthermore,the overexpression of the TaELF3-1BL gene in Arabidopsis delayed flowering,indicating their importance in flowering.Subsequent overexpression of TaELF3-1BL in the Arabidopsis ELF3 nonfunctional mutant(elf3 mutant)eliminated its early flowering phenotype,and slightly delayed flowering.The wild-type Arabidopsis overexpressing TaELF3-1BL demonstrated reduced expression levels of flowering-related genes,such as CONSTANS(AtCO),FLOWERING LOCUS T(AtFT),and GIGANTEA(AtGI).Thus,the study characterized the three TaELF3 genes and associated TaELF3-1BL with flowering in Arabidopsis,suggesting a role in regulating flowering in wheat too.These findings provide a basis for further research on TaELF3 functions in wheat.
基金financially supported by the Southwest Forestry University Research Foundation (No.18210135)the Key Research and Development Program of Yunnan Province,Study and Demonstration on the Key Technology of Improving Quality and Efficiency of Zanthoxylum bungeanum Industry (No.202102AE090013).
文摘In this study,newly sprouted shoots of Zanthoxylum armatum(Z.armatum),which were collected after the harvesting period,were used as the primary experimental specimens.A randomized block design and paraffin sectioning method were used to investigate the flower bud differentiation process and the quantity and vitality of buds.Furthermore,the study examined the response of flowering and fruiting to cultivation methods for shoot growth,including layering and plant growth regulator application.The results showed that(a)layering and application of plant growth regulators for Z.armatum accelerated the process of flower bud differentiation by approximately 20 days compared to the control group.Additionally,both shoot control methods generated more and larger bud primordia and perianth primordia during the same differentiation phase.(b)The application of plant growth regulators resulted in well-developed buds,exhibiting higher levels of flower bud differentiation than the layering method.The quality of flower bud formation for both shoot control methods was superior to that of the control group.(c)The flowering phenological period was relatively consistent between the two cultivation methods,but the fruit maturity phase for shoot-controlled trees occurred 20 days earlier than the control group.(d)Both layering and the application of plant growth regulators significantly decreased the rates of unfertilized flower shedding and fruit shedding.However,no significant difference was noted in fruit setting per inflorescence and per flower between the two methods and the control.The effect of altitude for both methods on the fruit setting was not significant.Under both shoot control methods,the Z.armatum exhibited earlier morphological differentiation of flower buds,faster differentiation process,improved flower bud quality,and significantly decreased rates of flower and fruit shedding.Thus,these cultivation methods demonstrated the potential to promote flowering,improve fruit setting,and reduce fruit shedding in Z.armatum.
基金Supported by Taishan Industrial Leader talent Project in Shandong Province(TSCX2023006156)Modern Agricultural Industry System in Beijing(BAIC01-2023).
文摘There are many varieties of vegetables in Cruciferae,which have a wide distribution and occupy an important position in the global vegetable industry.The bolting period is a crucial stage in the growth cycle of cruciferous plants,which directly affects the yield and quality of vegetable crops.This paper summarized the research progress on the physiological and biochemical characteristics,molecular genetic mechanisms and molecular markers of the flowering and bolting traits in cruciferous vegetables,in order to provide new ideas for revealing the regulatory mechanisms of flowering and bolting in cruciferous vegetables and to provide reference for the breeding of new varieties of cruciferous vegetables that are resistant to flowering.
基金We thank the Tree Biosafety and Genomics Research Cooperative(TBGRC)at Oregon State University,the USDA(award 2011-68005-30407,System for Advanced Biofuels Production From Woody Biomass In The Pacific Northwest)USDA Biotechnology Risk Assessment Grants(2011-68005-30407 and 2010-33522-21736)the NSF I/UCRC Center for Advanced Forestry(0736283).
文摘Plant migration and gene flow from genetically modified or exotic trees to nearby lands or by crossing with wild relatives is a major public and regulatory concern.Many genetic strategies exist to mitigate potential gene flow;however,the long delay in onset of flow-ering is a severe constraint to research progress.We used heat-induced FT overexpression to speed assessment of the expected floral phenotypes after CRISPR knockout of poplar homologs of the key floral genes,LEAFY and AGAMOUS.We selected events with previously characterized CRISPR-Cas9 induced biallelic changes then re-transformed them with the Arabidopsis thaliana FLOWERING LOCUS T(AtFT)gene under control of either a strong constitutive promoter or a heat-inducible promoter.We successfully obtained flowering in both a male and female clone of poplar,observing a wide range of inflorescence and floral forms among flowers,ramets,and insertion events.Overall,flowers obtained from the selected LFY and AG targeted events were consistent with what would be predicted for loss-of-function of these genes.LFY-targeted events showed small catkins with leaf-like organs,AG-targeted events had nested floral organs consistent with reduction in floral determinacy and absence of well-formed carpels or anthers.These findings demonstrate the great developmental plasticity of Populus flowers during genetically accelerated flowering,which may be of horticultural value.They also provide an informative early view of floral phenotypes and apparent sterility from knockouts of both these gene targets.
基金supported by Shaoguan City Science and Technology Planning Project(Social Development Direction-Supporting Scientific Research Workers Project)(Grant No.200811094530739)the Key Realm R&D Program of Guang Dong Provide(Grant No.2018B020202011)+2 种基金Open Fund of Key laboratory of Loquat Germplasm Innovation and Utilization(Putian University)Fujian Province University(Grant No.2019005)Guangdong Province College Students’Innovative and Entrepreneurial Training Program(Grant No.S202010576014X)。
文摘Loquat(Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.)is an evergreen fruit tree species of the Rosaceae,and its unique flowering time greatly hinders its production.To explore the artificial regulation of loquat flowering time,we removed the main inflorescence(by cutting it)to induce reflowering.For different loquat tree cultivars with different stages,the inflorescence was removed by cutting the main floral axis at two alternative positions:the upper or the lower position beneath the inflorescence,and it was found that the proportion of reflowering resulting from removing the upper position of the main floral axis of yellow-flesh loquat cultivars during the full-bloom stage was the highest.In addition,compared with those of the normal-growing panicles,the number of flower buds and branch axes of the reflowering panicles decreased significantly after cutting.Importantly,these newly produced inflorescences flowered 2–4 months later than normal-growing inflorescences did,effectively prolonging both the flowering and fruiting time.In addition,qRT-PCR results showed that EjFT1,EjFT2,EjAP1–1 and EjAP1–2 were highly expressed in the floral axis.These findings highlighted a new method for extending the production cycle of loquat and provided a reference for the flowering regulation of loquat and other economically important fruit tree species.
基金financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2017YFD0300409)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.31701374)+1 种基金the Special Fund for China Agricultural Research System(Grant Nos.CARS-01-22 and CARS-01-65)the Basic Research Foundation of National Commonweal Research Institute of China(Grant No.2017RG004-4)
文摘Global warming has caused frequent occurrence of heat stress at the flowering stage of single-season rice in the Yangtze River region of China, which results in declines of spikelet fertility and yield in rice. Rice flowering stage is the most sensitive period to high temperatures, and therefore, the key for heat stress happening is the flowering stage coinciding with high temperature, which causes spikelet fertility decreasing in heat-sensitive varieties, and is the major factor for heat injury differences among various rice planting regions. With the development of rice breeding, temperature indexes for heat stress has been converted from daily maximum temperature of 35 oC to 38 oC with the stress duration of more than 3 d. During the flowering stage, anther dehiscence inhibition and low pollen shedding onto the stigma are two main reasons for spikelet fertility reduction under high temperatures. At panicle initiation stage, high temperatures aggravate spikelet degeneration, and destroy floral organ development. Various types of rice varieties coexist in production, and indica-japonica hybrid rice demonstrates the highest heat resistance in general, followed by indica and japonica rice varieties. In production, avoiding high temperature is the main strategy of preventing heat stress, and planting suitable cultivars and adjustment of sowing date are the most effective measures. Irrigation is an effective real-time cultivation measure to decline the canopy temperature during the rice flowering stage. We suggested that further study should be focused on exploring heat injury differences among different rice variety types, and innovating rice-planting methods according to planting system changes in rice planting regions with extreme heat stress. Meanwhile, high temperature monitor and warning systems should be improved to achieve optimal heat stress management efficiencies.
