scholarly journals Functional and expressional analyses of apple FLC-like in relation to dormancy progress and flower bud development

Author(s):  
Soichiro Nishiyama ◽  
Miwako Cecile Matsushita ◽  
Hisayo Yamane ◽  
Chikako Honda ◽  
Kazuma Okada ◽  
...  

Abstract We previously identified the FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC)-like gene, a MADS-box transcription factor gene that belongs to Arabidopsis thaliana FLC clade, in apple (Malus x domestica), and its expression in dormant flower buds is positively correlated with cumulative cold exposure. To elucidate the role of the MdFLC-like in the dormancy process and flower development, we first characterized the phenotypes of MdFLC-like overexpressing lines with the Arabidopsis Columbia-0 background. The overexpression of MdFLC-like significantly delayed the bolting date and reduced the plant size, but it did not significantly affect the number of rosette leaves or flower organ formation. Thus, MdFLC-like may affect vegetative growth and development rather than flowering when expressed in Arabidopsis, which is not like Arabidopsis FLC that affects development of flowering. We compared seasonal expression patterns of MdFLC-like in low-chill ‘Anna’ and high-chill ‘Fuji’ and ‘Tsugaru’ apples collected from trees grown in a cold winter region in temperate zone, and found an earlier up-regulation in ‘Anna’ compared with ‘Fuji’ and ‘Tsugaru’. Expression patterns were also compared in relation to developmental changes in the flower primordia during the chilling accumulation period. Overall, MdFLC-like was progressively up-regulated during flower primordia differentiation and development in autumn to early winter, and reached a maximum expression level at around the same time as the genotype-dependent chilling requirements were fulfilled in high-chill cultivars. Thus, we hypothesize MdFLC-like may be up-regulated in response to cold exposure and flower primordia development during the progress of endodormancy. Our study also suggests MdFLC-like may have a growth inhibiting function during the end of endodormancy and ecodormancy, when the temperature is low and unfavorable for rapid bud outgrowth.

2009 ◽  
Vol 2009 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Talavera ◽  
Modesto Orozco ◽  
Xavier de la Cruz

Functional modification of transcription regulators may lead to developmental changes and phenotypical differences between species. In this work, we study the influence of alternative splicing on transcription factors in human and mouse. Our results show that the impact of alternative splicing on transcription factors is similar in both species, meaning that the ways to increase variability should also be similar. However, when looking at the expression patterns of transcription factors, we observe that they tend to diverge regardless of the role of alternative splicing. Finally, we hypothesise that transcription regulation of alternatively spliced transcription factors could play an important role in the phenotypical differences between species, without discarding other phenomena or functional families.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qianxia Yu ◽  
Xueyi Tian ◽  
Canjia Lin ◽  
Chelsea D. Specht ◽  
Jingping Liao

The asymmetric flower, lacking any plane of symmetry, is rare among angiosperms. Canna indica L. has conspicuously asymmetric flowers resulting from the presence of a half-fertile stamen, while the other androecial members develop as petaloid staminodes or abort early during development. The molecular basis of the asymmetric distribution of fertility and petaloidy in the androecial whorls remains unknown. Ontogenetic studies have shown that Canna flowers are borne on monochasial (cincinnus) partial florescences within a racemose inflorescence, with floral asymmetry likely corresponding to the inflorescence architecture. Given the hypothesized role of CYC/TB1 genes in establishing floral symmetry in response to the influence of the underlying inflorescence architecture, the spatiotemporal expression patterns of three Canna CYC/TB1 homologs (CiTBL1a, CiTBL1b-1, and CiTBL1b-2) were analyzed during inflorescence and floral development using RNA in situ hybridization and qRT-PCR. In the young inflorescence, both CiTBL1a and CiTBL1b-1 were found to be expressed in the bracts and at the base of the lateral florescence branches, whereas transcripts of CiTBL1b-2 were mainly detected in flower primordia and inflorescence primordia. During early flower development, expression of CiTBL1a and CiTBL1b-1 were both restricted to the developing sepals and petals. In later flower development, expression of CiTBL1a was reduced to a very low level while CiTBL1b-1 was detected with extremely high expression levels in the petaloid androecial structures including the petaloid staminodes, the labellum, and the petaloid appendage of the fertile stamen. In contrast, expression of CiTBL1b-2 was strongest in the fertile stamen throughout flower development, from early initiation of the stamen primordium to maturity of the ½ anther. Heterologous overexpression of CiTBL genes in Arabidopsis led to dwarf plants with smaller petals and fewer stamens, and altered the symmetry of mature flowers. These data provide evidence for the involvement of CYC/TB1 homologs in the development of the asymmetric Cannaceae flower.


HortScience ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 28 (8) ◽  
pp. 831-832
Author(s):  
Sorkel A. Kadir ◽  
Ed L. Proebsting

Differential thermal analysis (DTA) was used to measure deep supercooling in flower buds of Prunus dulcis Mill., P. armeniaca L., P. davidiana (Carr.) Franch, P. persica (L.) Batsch, three sweet cherry (P. avium L.) selections, and `Bing' cherries (P. avium L.) during Winter 1990-91 and 1991-92. Low temperatures in Dec. 1990 killed many flower buds. After the freeze, dead flower primordia continued to produce low-temperature exotherms (LTEs) at temperatures near those of living primordia for >2 weeks. In Feb. 1992, cherry buds that had been killed by cooling to -33C again produced LTEs when refrozen the next day. As buds swelled, the median LTE (LTE50) of dead buds increased relative to that of living buds, and the number of dead buds that produced LTEs decreased. LTE artifacts from dead flower priimordia must be recognized when DTA is used to estimate LTE50 of field-collected samples.


HortScience ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 674-675 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.P. Kamoutsis ◽  
A.G. Chronopoulou-Sereli ◽  
E.A. Paspatis

The effects of several shading materials on the response of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis to paclobutrazol were investigated under greenhouse conditions. The three main plot treatments were shading (0%, 67%, 98%), and paclobutrazol (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2 mg/pot) was applied as a soil drench in each main plot after pinching the plants. Both plant size and the number of flower buds per plant decreased as the rate of paclobutrazol increased at all levels of shading. The efficacy of paclobutrazol, however, was generally less under heavy shade, as both translocation of the growth retardant and photosynthesis were reduced. Moderate shading (67%) did not affect the size of plants receiving 0.0 or 0.5 mg of paclobutrazol per pot, but plants grown under heavy shade (98%) were 74% as large as similarly treated nonshaded plants. Medium shade reduced the size of plants receiving 1 and 2 mg paclobutrazol 4% and 6%, respectively, relative to that of similarly treated nonshaded plants, whereas heavy shade reduced plant size 11%. The number of flower buds per plant was reduced 30% by moderate shading, 90% by heavy shading. Significant quadratic relationships were observed between the rate of paclobutrazol applied and (1) plant size, and (2) the number of flower buds per plant. Chemical name used: ±-(R*,R*)-β–[(4-chlorophenyl)methyl]-α-(1,1-dimethyl)-1H-(1,2,4-triazol)-1-ethanol (paclobutrazol).


1995 ◽  
pp. 284-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. van Meeteren ◽  
H. van Gelder
Keyword(s):  

1982 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 823-826 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. ALI ◽  
V. SOUZA MACHADO

In field conditions, rutabaga (Brassica napus ssp. Rapifera (Metzg.) Sinsk.) plants are biennials and require exposure to low temperature for completion of their life cycle to seed production state. When young rutabaga plants were thermoinduced (3–5 °C) for 8 wk and subsequently transferred to growth room conditions, formation of flower buds resulted in 6 wk. Flowering response was greatly enhanced if the plants were sprayed with GA3 (100 mg/L) prior to thermoinduction. Compared with untreated plants, the GA3-sprayed plants responded with flower bud formation after as little as 3 wk of cold treatment. A longer cold exposure (6–8 wk) of the GA3-sprayed plants resulted in rapid development and maturity of the inflorescence. This note emphasizes the pharmacological role of gibberellins as regulators of flowering and their usefulness to enhance seed production and plant breeding programs.


2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 767-772 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shengrui Yao

Twelve peach (Prunus persica) cultivars, six apricot (Prunus armeniaca) cultivars, two japanese plum (Prunus salicina) cultivars, three european plum (Prunus domestica) cultivars, four sweet cherry (Prunus avium) cultivars, and three tart cherry (Prunus cerasus) cultivars were monitored for winter damage at New Mexico State University's Sustainable Agriculture Science Center in Alcalde, NM (main site), and the Agricultural Science Center in Los Lunas, NM (minor site), in 2011. Uncharacteristically low temperatures on 1 Jan. and 3 Feb. were recorded as −7.2 and −11.3 °F, respectively, at Alcalde, and 4.8 and −13.9 °F, respectively, at Los Lunas. On 10 Jan. at Alcalde, live peach flower bud percentage varied by cultivar, ranging from 11% for Blazingstar to 25% for PF-1, and 85% to 87% for Encore and China Pearl. Apricot flower buds were hardier, with 70% survival for ‘Perfection’, 97% for ‘Sunglo’, and 99% for ‘Harglow’ on 10 Jan. By 10 Feb., almost all peach flower primordia were discolored, with no cultivar showing more than 1% survival. Based on this information, the 10% kill of flower buds for most peach cultivars occurred at temperatures equal to or slightly higher than −7.2 °F, and 90% kill occurred between −7.2 and −11.3 °F. On 10 Feb., 0% to 15% of apricot flower buds on spurs or shoots of the middle and lower canopy had survived. For vigorous shoots in the upper canopy, apricot flower buds on 1-year-old shoots had a higher blooming rate than those on spurs of 2-year-old or older wood. Flower buds of japanese plum were also severely damaged with less than 0.2% survival for ‘Santa Rosa’ and 4.8% for ‘Methley’, but european plum were relatively unaffected with over 98% flower bud survival for ‘Castleton’ and ‘NY6’, and 87% for ‘Stanley’ after −11.3 °F at Alcalde. Cherry—especially tart cherry—survived better than peach, apricot, and japanese plum after all winter freezes in 2011.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Canton ◽  
Cristian Forestan ◽  
Claudio Bonghi ◽  
Serena Varotto

Abstract In deciduous fruit trees, entrance into dormancy occurs in later summer/fall, concomitantly with the shortening of day length and decrease in temperature. Dormancy can be divided into endodormancy, ecodormancy and paradormancy. In Prunus species flower buds, entrance into the dormant stage occurs when the apical meristem is partially differentiated; during dormancy, flower verticils continue their growth and differentiation. Each species and/or cultivar requires exposure to low winter temperature followed by warm temperatures, quantified as chilling and heat requirements, to remove the physiological blocks that inhibit budburst. A comprehensive meta-analysis of transcriptomic studies on flower buds of sweet cherry, apricot and peach was conducted, by investigating the gene expression profiles during bud endo- to ecodormancy transition in genotypes differing in chilling requirements. Conserved and distinctive expression patterns were observed, allowing the identification of gene specifically associated with endodormancy or ecodormancy. In addition to the MADS-box transcription factor family, hormone-related genes, chromatin modifiers, macro- and micro-gametogenesis related genes and environmental integrators, were identified as novel biomarker candidates for flower bud development during winter in stone fruits. In parallel, flower bud differentiation processes were associated to dormancy progression and termination and to environmental factors triggering dormancy phase-specific gene expression.


2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (6) ◽  
pp. 656-663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herminda Reinoso ◽  
Virginia Luna ◽  
Richard P Pharis ◽  
Rubén Bottini

Anatomical changes in the peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch.) flower buds were defined and then assessed and correlated with the phenological stage from early dormancy through to flower opening. The peach flower bud, unlike the vegetative bud, shows a continuous anatomical development during the late autumn and winter dormancy period, even though there are no obvious macroscopic changes. Sterile whorls differentiate rapidly in late summer through early autumn. In contrast, fertile whorls develop very slowly during winter; their rapid development begins in late winter and continues through early spring. The androecium develops throughout the winter, while the gynoecium develops in late winter. By late winter, the anthers begin to undergo microsporogenesis and microgametogenesis and the ovaries have formed ovules. Vascular connections between flower primordia and branch wood are complete by late winter, when rapid phenological changes begin. At this point in time, the peach floral bud enters a "rapid maturation phase" that ends in flower opening. Thus, for the peach flower bud at least, the concept of dormancy as "a temporary suspension of visible growth of any plant structure containing a meristem" that was proposed by earlier researchers appears inappropriate. Rather, cell division, enlargement, and differentiation, which lead to organogenesis, take place throughout the entire "dormancy" period.Key words: dormancy, floral bud anatomy, floral bud phenology, peach, Prunus persica.


1982 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 677-682 ◽  
Author(s):  
AMR A. ISMAIL ◽  
ERIC J. HANSON

Lowbush blueberry plants (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) were pruned mechanically by flail mowing or thermally by oil burning in the spring and fall. Plant growth pattern, vigor, and flower bud production were determined after one growing season. The incidence of winter injury to flower primordia and berry yields was also determined. The total number of stems produced was not affected by the pruning treatments, but the growth habit of stems was influenced by the method and time of pruning. The pruning treatments had no influence on the incidence of winter injury to flower primordia. Burning resulted in more flower buds per 0.1 m2 than mowing. Yields were not influenced by the method or time of pruning.


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