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A root chicory MADS box sequence and the A rabidopsis flowering repressor FLC share common features that suggest conserved function in vernalization and de‐vernalization responses
Author(s) -
Périlleux Claire,
Pieltain Alexandra,
Jacquemin Guillaume,
Bouché Frédéric,
Detry Nathalie,
D'Aloia Maria,
Thiry Laura,
Aljochim Pierre,
Delansnay Martin,
Mathieu AnneSophie,
Lutts Stanley,
Tocquin Pierre
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the plant journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.058
H-Index - 269
eISSN - 1365-313X
pISSN - 0960-7412
DOI - 10.1111/tpj.12208
Subject(s) - vernalization , repressor , biology , photoperiodism , botany , flowering locus c , psychological repression , mads box , arabidopsis , horticulture , gene , genetics , mutant , gene expression
Summary Root chicory ( C ichorium intybus var. sativum ) is a biennial crop, but is harvested to obtain root inulin at the end of the first growing season before flowering. However, cold temperatures may vernalize seeds or plantlets, leading to incidental early flowering, and hence understanding the molecular basis of vernalization is important. A MADS box sequence was isolated by RT ‐ PCR and named FLC ‐ LIKE 1 (C i FL 1 ) because of its phylogenetic positioning within the same clade as the floral repressor A rabidopsis FLOWERINGLOCUS C ( At FLC ). Moreover, over‐expression of Ci FL 1 in A rabidopsis caused late flowering and prevented up‐regulation of the At FLC target FLOWERING LOCUS T by photoperiod, suggesting functional conservation between root chicory and Arabidopsis. Like At FLC in A rabidopsis, Ci FL 1 was repressed during vernalization of seeds or plantlets of chicory, but repression of Ci FL 1 was unstable when the post‐vernalization temperature was favorable to flowering and when it de‐vernalized the plants. This instability of Ci FL 1 repression may be linked to the bienniality of root chicory compared with the annual lifecycle of A rabidopsis. However, re‐activation of At FLC was also observed in A rabidopsis when a high temperature treatment was used straight after seed vernalization, eliminating the promotive effect of cold on flowering. Cold‐induced down‐regulation of a MADS box floral repressor and its re‐activation by high temperature thus appear to be conserved features of the vernalization and de‐vernalization responses in distant species.