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Vernalization-induced flowering in wheat is mediated by a lectin-like gene VER2

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Abstract

A vernalization-related gene VER2 was isolated from winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) using a differential screening approach. The deduced VER2 is a lectin-like protein of 300 amino acids, which contains the presence of a jacalin-like GWG domain. RNA in situ hybridization results demonstrated that VER2 gene expression is restricted to the marginal meristems of immature leaves in vernalized wheat seedlings. No hybridization signal was detected in the epidermal tissue and vascular bundles. However, "devernalization" resulted in the silencing of VER2 gene activity. The gene expression pattern of VER2 induced by jasmonate was similar to that induced by vernalization. Antisense inhibition of VER2 in transgenic wheat showed that heading and maturation time were delayed up to 6 weeks compared with non-transformed wheat and the pBI121empty-vector-transformed wheat. Tissue degeneration at the top of the spike was also noticed in the antisense inhibited transgenic wheat. These results suggest that VER2 plays an important role in vernalization signaling and spike development in winter wheat.

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Fig. 1a, b.
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Abbreviations

A-VER2TW:

antisense VER2 transgenic wheat plant

DIG:

digoxigenin

GUS:

β-glucuronidase

JA:

jasmonate

ORF:

open reading frame

RACE:

rapid amplification cDNA ends

S-VER2TW:

sense VER2 transgenic wheat plant

UTR:

untranslated region

VER :

vernalization-related gene

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Prof. Nick Carpita and Prof. Don Huber (Department of Botany & Plant Pathology, Purdue University, USA) for their careful reading and useful comments on the manuscript. The authors thank Prof. Yongbiao Xue (Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China) and Weicai Yang (IMA, Singapore) for comments on the project. This work was supported by the Major State Basic Research Program of the People's Republic of China (G19990116), the State Transgenic Plant Project (J99-A-024), the National Science Foundation of China (30170094), the state High-Tech Program (863) and the Innovation Project of CAS.

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  1. Wei-dong Yong

    Present address: Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2054, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center for Molecular and Developmental Biology, Key Laboratory of Photosynthesis and Environmental Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China

    Wei-dong Yong, Yun-yuan Xu, Wen-zhong Xu, Xin Wang, Jin-song Wu, Tie-bing Liang, Kang Chong, Zhi-hong Xu, Ke-hui Tan & Zhi-qing Zhu

  2. Department of Biology, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China

    Ning Li

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  1. Wei-dong Yong
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Correspondence to Kang Chong.

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Wei-dong Yong and Yun-yuan Xu equally contributed to this work

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Yong, Wd., Xu, Yy., Xu, Wz. et al. Vernalization-induced flowering in wheat is mediated by a lectin-like gene VER2 . Planta 217, 261–270 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-003-0994-7

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