Constitutive expression of the GIGANTEA ortholog affects circadian rhythms and suppresses one-shot induction of flowering in Pharbitis nil, a typical short-day plant

Plant Cell Physiol. 2011 Apr;52(4):638-50. doi: 10.1093/pcp/pcr023. Epub 2011 Mar 7.

Abstract

GIGANTEA (GI) is a key regulator of flowering time, which is closely related to the circadian clock function in Arabidopsis. Mutations in the GI gene cause photoperiod-insensitive flowering and altered circadian rhythms. We isolated the GI ortholog PnGI from Pharbitis (Ipomoea) nil, an absolute short-day (SD) plant. PnGI mRNA expression showed diurnal rhythms that peaked at dusk under SD and long-day (LD) conditions, and also showed robust circadian rhythms under continuous dark (DD) and continuous light (LL) conditions. Short irradiation with red light during the flower-inductive dark period did not change PnGI expression levels, suggesting that such a night break does not abolish flowering by affecting the expression of PnGI. In Pharbitis, although a single dusk signal is sufficient to induce expression of the ortholog of FLOWERING LOCUS T (PnFT1), PnGI mRNA expression was not reset by single lights-off signals. Constitutive expression of PnGI (PnGI-OX) in transgenic plants altered period length in leaf-movement rhythms under LL and affected circadian rhythms of PnFT mRNA expression under DD. PnGI-OX plants formed fewer flower buds than the wild type when one-shot darkness was given. In PnGI-OX plants, expression of PnFT1 was down-regulated, suggesting that PnGI functions as a suppressor of flowering, possibly in part through down-regulation of PnFT1.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
  • Base Sequence
  • Circadian Rhythm / genetics*
  • Circadian Rhythm / radiation effects
  • DNA, Complementary / genetics
  • DNA, Plant / chemistry
  • DNA, Plant / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Darkness
  • Down-Regulation / genetics
  • Flowers / genetics
  • Flowers / metabolism
  • Flowers / physiology*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / radiation effects
  • Ipomoea nil / genetics
  • Ipomoea nil / growth & development
  • Ipomoea nil / physiology*
  • Ipomoea nil / radiation effects
  • Light
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Photoperiod
  • Plant Leaves / genetics
  • Plant Leaves / metabolism
  • Plant Proteins / genetics
  • Plant Proteins / metabolism*
  • Plants, Genetically Modified
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Plant / genetics
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • DNA, Complementary
  • DNA, Plant
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • FT protein, Arabidopsis
  • Plant Proteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA, Plant

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AB265781
  • GENBANK/AB265782
  • GENBANK/AB607848