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Molecular and Functional Characterization of ZmNF-YC14 in Transgenic Arabidopsis

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Abstract

The optimum transition stage from vegetative to reproductive development is important for flowering plants to obtain the desired plant architecture to maximize yield. In this study, we overexpressed the maize NUCLEAR FACTOR Y, SUBUNIT C 14 (ZmNF-YC14) gene in Arabidopsis to investigate its potential functions in the regulation of plant transition. Overexpression of ZmNF-YC14 in Arabidopsis inhibited plant flowering and retarded the duration of the branch-producing inflorescence phase 1 (I1). These plants exhibited increased length of I1 and higher ratio of inflorescence phase 1 to inflorescence phase (I) (I1:I) under long-day conditions. As a consequence, these transgenic plants exhibited dramatic changes in their overall inflorescence morphology. In addition, the phenotypes of inflorescence morphology caused by ZmNF-YC14 overexpression were enhanced by exogenous gibberellin (GA) treatment, which obtained a significant increase in I1:I, inflorescence phase 1 to inflorescence phase 2 (I2) (I1:I2), and remarkable decrease in I2 and I2:I in transgenic plants compared to those under normal conditions. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that ZmNFYC14 negatively regulates flowering and controls flower formation under long-day conditions in Arabidopsis and may be involved in a GA regulation pathway.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China

    Xiupeng Mei, Ping Li, Lu Wang, Chaoxian Liu, Lian Zhou & Yilin Cai

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  1. Xiupeng Mei
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  2. Ping Li
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  3. Lu Wang
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  4. Chaoxian Liu
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  5. Lian Zhou
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  6. Yilin Cai
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Correspondence to Yilin Cai.

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Mei, X., Li, P., Wang, L. et al. Molecular and Functional Characterization of ZmNF-YC14 in Transgenic Arabidopsis. J. Plant Biol. 61, 410–423 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12374-018-0162-z

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