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Overexpression of the repressor gene PvFRI-L from Phyllostachys violascens delays flowering time in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana

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Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

The gene FRIGIDA (FRI) is floral repressor and plays a key role in the timing of Arabidopsis flowering. To study the function of FRI-like genes in bamboo, we isolated a FRI family gene from bamboo Phyllostachys violascens and named it PvFRI-L. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis show that the PvFRI-L protein belongs to the FRL3 (III) subfamily from monocots and contains a conserved FRIGIDA domain. PvFRI-L was located in the nucleus of onion epidermal cells. PvFRI-L was expressed in all tested organs of flowering and non-flowering bamboo plants with a higher expression in non-flowering than in flowering plants. Overexpression of PvFRI-L in Arabidopsis caused late flowering by downregulating flowering locus T and upregulating flowering locus C. A P-box, the binding site involved in gibberellin response, was found only in the promoter region of PvFRI-L but not in that of FRI. Furthermore, PvFRI-L expression in the leaves of Ph. violascens seedlings was downregulated with gibberellic acid treatment. Taking together, our observation suggests that PvFRI-L may be flowering repressor and its delaying floral timing may be regulated by gibberellic acid in bamboo.

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Abbreviations

FRI:

FRIGIDA

FLC :

flowering locus C

FT :

flowering locus T

GA:

gibberellic acid

GFP:

green fluorescent protein

IPTG:

isopropyl-thiogalactoside

MBP:

maltose binding protein

ORF:

open reading frame

qPCR:

quantitative PCR

WT:

wild-type

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forestry College, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, P.R. China

    S. N. Liu & L. Y. Ma

  2. The Nurturing Station for the State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Lin’an, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311300, P.R. China

    S. N. Liu, L. F. Zhu & X. C. Lin

Authors
  1. S. N. Liu
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  2. L. F. Zhu
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  3. X. C. Lin
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  4. L. Y. Ma
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Correspondence to X. C. Lin or L. Y. Ma.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Nos. 31270715 and 31000295], the Ministry of Science and Technology of China [No. 2012CB723008] and the Top Key Discipline of Forestry of Zhejiang Province [KF201304].

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Liu, S.N., Zhu, L.F., Lin, X.C. et al. Overexpression of the repressor gene PvFRI-L from Phyllostachys violascens delays flowering time in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana . Biol Plant 60, 401–409 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-016-0614-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-016-0614-6

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