|
Most plants sense changes in environmental signals, such as day length or temperature. Here, we report the identification of a regulatory gene, OsMADS1, which controls the photoperiod sensitivity of flowering time. Constitutive expression of OsMADS1 in a long-day flowering plant, Nicotiana sylvestris, resulted in flowering under both short-day and long-day conditions. Similarly, ectopic expression of the gene in a short-day flowering plant, Nicotiana tabacum cv. Maryland Mammoth, also induced flowering, regardless of day length. Transition time depended on the level of the OsMADS1 transcript in transgenic plants. These suggest that OsMADS1 is a key regulatory factor that determines the transition from shoot apex to floral meristem, and that it may be used for controlling flowering time in a variety of plant species.
|