The flowering-time gene FT and regulation of flowering in Arabidopsis

Transition from vegetative to reproductive development (flowering) is one of the most important decisions during the post-embryonic development of flowering plants. More than twenty loci are known to regulate this process in Arabidopsis. Some of these flowering-time genes may act at the shoot apical...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of plant research 1998-06, Vol.111 (1102), p.277-281
Main Authors: Araki, T. (Kyoto Univ. (Japan)), Kobayshi, Y, Kaya, H, Iwabuchi, M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ARABIDOPSIS
FLORACION
FLORAISON
FLOWERING
GENE
GENES
MUTANT
MUTANTES
MUTANTS
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Summary:Transition from vegetative to reproductive development (flowering) is one of the most important decisions during the post-embryonic development of flowering plants. More than twenty loci are known to regulate this process in Arabidopsis. Some of these flowering-time genes may act at the shoot apical meristem to regulate its competence to respond to floral inductive signals and floral evocation. Genetic and phenotypic analyses of mutants suggest that the late-flowering gene FT may be a good candidate for such genes. To test this, we have cloned the FT gene using a FT-deficiency line associated with a T-DNA insertion. Cloned genes and loss-of-function mutants in hand, it is now possible to analyse the role of FT and other genes in flowering at the biochemical and cellular levels as well as at the genetic level. The deduced FT protein has homology with TFL1 and CEN proteins believed to be involved in regulation of inflorescence meristem identity. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that the FT group and the TFL1/CEN group of genes diverged before the diversification of major angiosperm clades. This raises the interesting question of the evolutionary relationship between the regulation of vegetative/reproductive switching in the shoot apical meristem and the regulation of inflorescence architecture in angiosperms.
ISSN:0918-9440
1618-0860
DOI:10.1007/bf02512184