Systematic Investigation of FLOWERING LOCUS T-Like Poaceae Gene Families Identifies the Short-Day Expressed Flowering Pathway Gene, TaFT3 in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

• DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.00857
• Publication Date: 2016-06-23T00:05:21Z
• Authors: Joanna Halliwell; Philippa Borrill; Anna Gordon; Radoslaw Kowalczyk; Marina L. Pagano; Benedetta Saccomanno; Alison R. Bentley; Cristobal Uauy; James Cockram
• Keywords: 2. Zero hunger; homoeolog-specific gene expression; 0303 health sciences; Flowering time; Quantitative RT-PCR; flowering time; Plant Science; 15. Life on land; Environmental adaptation; 03 medical and health sciences; Homoeolog-specific gene expression; environmental adaptation; quantitative RT-PCR

To date, a small number of major flowering time loci have been identified in the related Triticeae crops, bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), durum (T. durum), and barley (Hordeum vulgare). Natural genetic variants at these result phenotypic changes which adapted crops to novel environments encountered during spread agriculture. The polyploid nature means that recessive alleles confer adaptive advantage diploid species not readily identified. One such example is PPD-H2 locus encoded by FLOWERING LOCUS T 3 (HvFT3) crop barley, for mutant delayed under short day (SD) photoperiods. In autumn-sown aid repression over winter, help prevent development cold-sensitive floral organs until onset inductive long (LD) photoperiods following spring. While identification orthologous could provide breeders with alternative mechanisms fine tune time, systematic orthologs HvFT3 has reported. Here, we characterize FT gene families six Poaceae species, identifying members all taxa investigated, as well FT3 homoeologs from A, B D genomes hexaploid (TaFT3) tetraploid wheat. Sequence analysis shows TaFT3 display high similarity coding region (95-96%) predicted protein (96-97%), conservation intron/exon structure across five cereal investigated. Genetic mapping comparative analyses find map arms group 1 chromosomes, collinear rice, foxtail millet brachypodium. Genome-specific expression show are upregulated SD photoperiods, but LDs, analogous HvFT3. Collectively, results indicate functional molecular resources generated here foundation engineering using forward or reverse genetics approaches.