Analysis of Floral Induction Pathways

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0133663AmasinoThe transition of shoot apical meristems from vegetative growth to flowering is the major developmental switch in the plant life cycle. The timing of flower initiation is obviously critical for reproductive success, and many plant species have evolved multiple flowering pathways that are integrated to precisely regulate flowering time. These pathways include those that monitor the developmental state of the plant and others that sense environmental cues of season such as photoperiod and temperature. Our recent work has demonstrated that both developmental and environmental (temperature) sensing pathways converge on the regulation of a repressor of flowering, FLC (FLOWERING LOCUS C). The major goal for this proposal period is to further our understanding of the circuitry of FLC regulation. Advances in the understanding of how flowering pathways operate in Arabidopsis will provide a foundation for understanding flowering-time regulation in other species. Premature flowering is a problem in many crops in which the leaves or roots of the plant are harvested. In other crops it is desirable to accelerate flowering. This work will define strategies to manipulate flowering time in Arabidopsis. Our long-term goal is to determine whether these strategies can be used to modify flowering time and increase productivity in crop species. Funding from this award will be used to train graduate and undergraduate students in plant genetics and molecular biology.