The DIE NEUTRALIS (DNE) locus in garden pea (Pisum sativum) was previously shown to inhibit flowering under noninductive short-day conditions and to affect a graft-transmissible flowering signal. In this study, we establish that DNE has a role in diurnal and/or circadian regulation of several clock genes, including the pea GIGANTEA (GI) ortholog LATE BLOOMER 1 (LATE1) and orthologs of the Arabi...

The STERILE NODES (SN) locus in pea (Pisum sativum) was one of the first photoperiod response genes to be described and provided early evidence for the genetic control of long-distance signaling in flowering-time regulation. Lines homozygous for recessive sn mutations are early flowering and photoperiod insensitive, with an increased ability to promote flowering across a graft union in short-da...

BACKGROUND MicroRNAs (miRNAs) is a class of non-coding RNAs involved in post- transcriptional control of gene expression, via degradation and/or translational inhibition. Six-hundred sixty-one rice miRNAs are known that are important in plant development. However, flowering-related miRNAs have not been characterized in Oryza rufipogon Griff. It was approved by supervision department of Guangdon...

Although the occurrence of epistasis and pleiotropy is widely accepted at the molecular level, its effect on the adaptive value of fitness-related genes is rarely investigated in plants. Knowledge of these features of a gene is critical to understand the molecular basis of adaptive evolution. Here we investigate the importance of pleiotropy and epistasis in determining the adaptive value of a c...

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) is a staple food and a drought-tolerant cereal well adapted to Sub-Saharan Africa agro-ecosystems. An important diversity of pearl millet landraces has been widely conserved by farmers and therefore could help copping with climate changes and contribute to future food security. Hence, characterizing its genetic diversity and population structure can...

Although sugar has been suggested to promote floral transition in many plant species, growth on high concentrations (5% [w/v]) of sucrose (Suc) significantly delayed flowering time, causing an increase in the number of leaves at the time of flowering in Arabidopsis. The effect of high concentrations of Suc seemed to be metabolic rather than osmotic. The delay of floral transition was due to ext...

Flowering time relies on the integration of intrinsic developmental cues and environmental signals. FLC and its downstream target FT are key players in the floral transition in Arabidopsis. Here, we characterized the expression pattern and function of JMJ18, a novel JmjC domain-containing histone H3K4 demethylase gene in Arabidopsis. JMJ18 was dominantly expressed in companion cells; its tempor...

The "light" signal from the environment sets the circadian clock to regulate multiple physiological processes for optimal rhythmic growth and development. One such process is the control of flowering time by photoperiod perception in plants. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), the flowering time is determined by the correct interconnection of light input and signal output by the circadian cl...

Fruit trees have a long juvenile phase. For example, the juvenile phase of apple (Malus × domestica) generally lasts for 5-12 years and is a serious constraint for genetic analysis and for creating new apple cultivars through cross-breeding. If modification of the genes involved in the transition from the juvenile phase to the adult phase can enable apple to complete its life cycle within 1 yea...

Allelic variation at the FRI (FRIGIDA) and FLC (FLOWERING LOCUS C) loci are major determinants of flowering time in Arabidopsis accessions. Dominant alleles of FRI confer a vernalization requirement causing plants to overwinter vegetatively. Many early flowering accessions carry loss-of-function fri alleles containing one of two deletions. However, some accessions categorized as early flowering...