Vernalization response of Phleum pratense and its relationships to stem lignification and floral transition
| Autor: | Alice Fiil, Jeppe Reitan Andersen, Mervi Seppänen, Arja Santanen, Perttu Virkajärvi, Kirsi Pakarinen, Venla Jokela |
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| Rok vydání: | 2010 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
sclerenchyma ring Repressor elongation regrowth Flowers Plant Science Biology Polymerase Chain Reaction 01 natural sciences Phleum 03 medical and health sciences vernalization VRN1 VRN2 Gene Expression Regulation Plant Gene expression Botany canopy structure spring growth Plant Proteins 030304 developmental biology 2. Zero hunger flowering 0303 health sciences Plant Stems timothy Crop yield food and beverages Original Articles Vernalization 15. Life on land biology.organism_classification freezing tolerance Phleum pratense Apex (geometry) Apex development Vernalization response lignification Adaptation 010606 plant biology & botany |
| Zdroj: | Seppänen, M M, Pakarinen, K, Jokela, V, Andersen, J R, Fiil, A, Santanen, A & Virkajärvi, P 2010, ' Vernalization response of Phleum pratense and its relationships to stem lignification and floral transition ', Annals of Botany, vol. 106, no. 5, pp. 697-707 . https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcq174 |
| ISSN: | 1095-8290 0305-7364 |
| DOI: | 10.1093/aob/mcq174 |
| Popis: | Background Timothy is a long-day grass species well adapted for cultivation in northern latitudes. It produces elongating tillers not only in spring growth but also later in summer. As the quantity and quality of harvested biomass is dictated by canopy architecture and the proportion of stem-forming flowering tillers, the regulation of flowering is of great interest in forage grass production. Methods Canopy architecture, stem morphology and freezing tolerance of vernalized timothy were investigated in greenhouse and field experiments. The molecular control of development was examined by analysing the relationship between apex development and expression of timothy homologues of the floral inducer VRN1 and repressor VRN2. Key Results True stem formation and lignification of the sclerenchyma ring occur in both vernalized and regrowing stems irrespective of the developmental stage of the apex. The stems had, however, divergent morphology. Vernalization enhanced flowering, and the expression of the VRN1 homologue was elevated when the apex had passed into the reproductive stage. High VRN1 homologue expression was not associated with reduction in freezing tolerance and the expression coincided with increased levels of the floral repressor VRN2 homologue. Field experiments supported the observed linkage between the upregulation of the VRN1 homologue and the transition to the reproductive stage in vernalized tillers. The upregulation of putative VRN1 or VRN2 genes was restricted to vernalized tillers in the spring yield and, thus, not detected in non-vernalized tillers of the second yield; so-called regrowth. Conclusions The formation of a lignified sclerenchyma ring that efficiently reduces the digestibility of the stem was not related to apex development but rather to a requirement for mechanical support. The observed good freezing tolerance of reproductive timothy tillers could be one important adaptation mechanism ensuring high yields in northern conditions. Both VRN1 and VRN2 homologues required a vernalization signal for expression so the development of yield-forming tillers in regrowth was regulated independently of the studied genes. Background Timothy is a long-day grass species well adapted for cultivation in northern latitudes. It produces elongating tillers not only in spring growth but also later in summer. As the quantity and quality of harvested biomass is dictated by canopy architecture and the proportion of stem-forming flowering tillers, the regulation of flowering is of great interest in forage grass production. Methods Canopy architecture, stem morphology and freezing tolerance of vernalized timothy were investigated in greenhouse and field experiments. The molecular control of development was examined by analysing the relationship between apex development and expression of timothy homologues of the floral inducer VRN1 and repressor VRN2. Key Results True stem formation and lignification of the sclerenchyma ring occur in both vernalized and regrowing stems irrespective of the developmental stage of the apex. The stems had, however, divergent morphology. Vernalization enhanced flowering, and the expression of the VRN1 homologue was elevated when the apex had passed into the reproductive stage. High VRN1 homologue expression was not associated with reduction in freezing tolerance and the expression coincided with increased levels of the floral repressor VRN2 homologue. Field experiments supported the observed linkage between the upregulation of the VRN1 homologue and the transition to the reproductive stage in vernalized tillers. The upregulation of putative VRN1 or VRN2 genes was restricted to vernalized tillers in the spring yield and, thus, not detected in non-vernalized tillers of the second yield; so-called regrowth. Conclusions The formation of a lignified sclerenchyma ring that efficiently reduces the digestibility of the stem was not related to apex development but rather to a requirement for mechanical support. The observed good freezing tolerance of reproductive timothy tillers could be one important adaptation mechanism ensuring high yields in northern conditions. Both VRN1 and VRN2 homologues required a vernalization signal for expression so the development of yield-forming tillers in regrowth was regulated independently of the studied genes. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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