Inheritance of the light intensity response in spring cultivars of common wheat

The effects of low/high light intensities and day length on ear emergence time in climatic chambers were studied in 12 common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars of different ecogeographical origin. Low light intensity (LI) affected the time to ear emergence in all the wheat cultivars of both the photoperiod sensitive and insensitive genotypes, increasing the number of days to ear emergence (DEE). Based on the increase in DEE, we chose samples with different light intensity responses among the cultivars and analyzed their F2 hybrids to see if they were segregating. Taken together, the data for the F2 plants and test cross showed that the strong response to light intensity is a recessive trait and that the parental cultivars differ by the two genes controlling the LI response in common wheat. Besides heading time, low LI increased the number of days to tillering in all the cultivars except Pitic 62, but short day affected the period to tillering less than low LI. The symbol Rli (the response to light intensity) is suggested to designate the genetic control of the response to LI in wheat. Thus, the response to LI may influence the adaptability to changing environmental conditions and yield of wheat cultivars.     

水稻开花期调控的分子机理研究进展

水稻准确地感知外部环境信号,通过内部复杂的基因网络做出反应,在一年中最适合的时候开花繁殖。与长日促进长日模式植物拟南芥开花相反,短日促进短日模式植物水稻开花。通过对水稻和拟南芥的开花期调控机理的对比分析,发现水稻和拟南芥有着一些相对保守的开花期控制基因,其调控机理也是相似的。另外,水稻也有一些独特的开花期控制基因和开花途径。本文着重从光周期对水稻开花期的调控途径和作用机理角度进行了阐述,并对水稻开花期的自然变异与其育种应用、生物钟关联基因、光中断现象和临界日长现象以及开花期与产量的关系进行了总结。     

光周期影响植物花时的分子机制

日长感知是植物所具有的重要的生物学功能,光周期是决定植物开花时间的关键环境因子之一。光周期的暗期长度是决定植物成花的决定因素。通过形态学和遗传学研究,揭示了光周期敏感的一些遗传特性,并确定了光敏感指数的标准。构建了光周期性状相关的分子标记连锁图谱,是进行基因定位、克隆和分子标记辅助选择的重要基础工作,也是进行光周期机理研究的有效途径。通过模式植物拟南芥的研究,建立了一个长日促进开花的遗传途径。它的机理可以综合为:光和感光信息体系结合产生信号并传导,CO表达被激活。在每日日长循环、光体系及遗传背景的变化基础上,如果CO的表达和日长状况协调,那么CO激活FT表达,随后开花。水稻、小麦、玉米等作物在光周期机理研究方面也取得了一些进展。     

植物开花时间调控的信号途径

开花是植物从营养生长到生殖生长的一个重要转折点。花启动的时机对生殖生长的成功至关重要。开花时间受内在因子和环境因子的共同调节。通过对拟南芥的分子遗传学研究,确定至少存在4条调控开花时间的信号途径,即光周期途径、春化途径、自主途径和赤霉素途径。本文以拟南芥 (Arabidopsis thaliana) 为主要研究对象简要综述了近年来在开花时间调控领域的研究进展。     

INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AND POPULATION COMPOSITION ON THE TIMING OF CELL DIVISION IN THALASSIOSIRA FLUVIATILIS (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE) GROWN ON LIGHT/DARK CYCLES1

Cell division patterns in Thalassiosira fluviatilis grown in a cyclostat were analyzed as a function of temperature, photoperiod, nutrient limitation and average cell size of the population. Typical cell division patterns in populations doubling more than once per day had multiple peaks in division rate each day, with the lowest rates always being greater than zero. Division bursts occurred in both light and dark periods with relative intensities depending on growth conditions. Multiple peaks in division rate were also found, when population growth rates were reduced to less than one doubling per day by lowering temperature, nutrients, or photoperiod and the degree of division phasing was not enhanced. Temperature and nutrient limitation shifted the timing of the major division burst relative to the light/dark cycle. Average cell volume of the inoculum was found to be a significant determinant of the average population growth rate and the timing and magnitude of the peaks in division rate. The results are interpreted in the context of a cell cycle model in which generation times are “quantized” into values separated by a constant time interval.     

The biotron breeding system: a rapid and reliable procedure for genetic studies and breeding in rice

Oryza sativa is widely used as a model organism for many aspects of research in monocots and cereals. However, it has certain disadvantages as a model species compared with Arabidopsis thaliana, the eudicot species most widely used in plant sciences: first, it has a long cultivation time; and second, it requires considerably more space for growth. Here, we introduce a biotron breeding system, which allows rapid and reliable rice cultivation using a well-equipped artificial environmental chamber. This system involves use of regulation of CO? levels, removal of tillers and embryo rescue to overcome the disadvantages of rice cultivation. The rice cultivars Nipponbare, Koshihikari, Taichung 65 and Kasalath all showed vigorous growth and sufficient seed production in the biotron breeding system with accelerated flowering time. Nipponbare, which was the earliest among these cultivars, flowered at about 50 d after sowing. The life cycle of these plants could be further shortened using an embryo rescue technique on immature seeds at 7 d after pollination, thereby avoiding the lengthy process of seed maturation. Overall, it was possible to shorten the life cycle of Nipponbare to about 2 months under the controlled conditions. Furthermore, controlled crosses, which can be difficult with conventional cultivation methods, were easy to perform as we could control the exact timing of anther dehiscence. Thus, our biotron breeding system offers a valuable new approach to genetic and breeding studies in rice.     

EFFECTS OF PHOTOPERIOD AND VERNALIZATION ON THE NUMBER OF LEAVES AT FLOWERING IN 32 ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA (BRASSICACEAE) ECOTYPES

The extent of natural variation among wild type Arabidopsis thaliana L. Heynh for response to environmental stimuli that affect flowering is poorly documented. The effects of photoperiod and vernalization on the number of rosette leaves at the time of anthesis was measured for 32 Arabidopsis ecotypes. All ecotypes were vernalized 24 days at 4 C under continuous illumination. Vernalized and nonvernalized plants were transplanted into 8- (short-day) and 20-hour (long-day) photoperiods in controlled environment growth chambers. Two ecotypes failed to flower after 110 days. Mean leaf number was less for all ecotypes under long day compared to short day. Sixteen ecotypes responded to vernalization; eight had reduced leaf number regardless of photoperiod, and eight had reduced leaf number only under short day. Two ecotypes required vernalization to flower in this study. For three ecotypes, vernalization and short day resulted in a reduction in leaf number whereas vernalization and long day resulted in increased leaf number. Documentation of the effects and interactions of photoperiod and vernalization across many ecotypes provides a broader range of described natural variation for genetic and physiologic study.     

Regulation of flowering by green light depends on its photon flux density and involves cryptochromes

Photoperiodic lighting can promote flowering of long‐day plants (LDPs) and inhibit flowering of short‐day plants (SDPs). Red (R) and far‐red (FR) light regulate flowering through phytochromes, whereas blue light does so primarily through cryptochromes. In contrast, the role of green light in photoperiodic regulation of flowering has been inconsistent in previous studies. We grew four LDP species (two petunia cultivars, ageratum, snapdragon and Arabidopsis) and two SDP species (three chrysanthemum cultivars and marigold) in a greenhouse under truncated 9‐h short days with or without 7‐h day‐extension lighting from green light (peak = 521 nm) at 0, 2, 13 or 25 μmol m^?2 s^?1 or R + white (W) + FR light at 2 μmol m^?2 s^?1. Increasing the green photon flux density from 0 to 25 μmol m^?2 s^?1 accelerated flowering of all LDPs and delayed flowering of all SDPs. Petunia flowered similarly fast under R + W + FR light and moderate green light but was shorter and developed more branches under green light. To be as effective as R + W + FR light, saturation green photon flux densities were 2 μmol m^?2 s^?1 for LDP ageratum and SDP marigold and 13 μmol m^?2 s^?1 for LDP petunia. Snapdragon was the least sensitive to green light. In Arabidopsis, cryptochrome 2 mediated promotion of flowering under moderate green light, whereas both phytochrome B and cryptochrome 2 mediated that under R + W + FR light. We conclude that 7‐h day‐extension lighting from green light‐emitting diodes can control flowering of photoperiodic ornamentals and that in Arabidopsis, cryptochrome 2 mediates promotion of flowering under green light.     

EFFECTS OF PHOTOPERIOD AND KIND OF SUPPLEMENTAL LIGHT ON GROWTH,FLOWERING, AND STEM FASCIATION OF CELOSIA

Piringer , A. A., and H. A. Borthwick . (U.S.D.A., Beltsville, Md.) Effects of photoperiod and kind of supplemental light on growth, flowering and stem fasciation of Celosia. Amer. Jour. Bot. 48(7): 588–592. Illus. 1961.—Four cultivars of Celosia argentea L. var. cristata were grown on photoperiods ranging from 8 hr to continuous light. Supplemental low-intensity incandescent light was used to extend 8 hr of natural light and provide the given photoperiod. In all cultivars, short main stems occurred on photoperiods of 12 or fewer hours and long main stems, due to more nodes, on photoperiods of 16 or more hours. Flowering was a nonobligate short-day response in all cultivars. Plants of certain cultivars tended to have shorter stems and flower later when 8 hr of fluorescent instead of incandescent light was used to provide the 16-hr photoperiod. In 3 of the cultivars studied, photoperiods of 16 or more hours induced marked stem fasciation.     

Photoperiod regulates flower meristem development in Arabidopsis thaliana

Photoperiod has been known to regulate flowering time in many plant species. In Arabidopsis, genes in the long day (LD) pathway detect photoperiod and promote flowering under LD. It was previously reported that clavata2 (clv2) mutants grown under short day (SD) conditions showed suppression of the flower meristem defects, namely the accumulation of stem cells and the resulting production of extra floral organs. Detailed analysis of this phenomenon presented here demonstrates that the suppression is a true photoperiodic response mediated by the inactivation of the LD pathway under SD. Inactivation of the LD pathway was sufficient to suppress the clv2 defects under LD, and activation of the LD pathway under SD conditions restored clv2 phenotypes. These results reveal a novel role of photoperiod in flower meristem development in Arabidopsis. Flower meristem defects of clv1 and clv3 mutants are also suppressed under SD, and 35S:CO enhanced the defects of clv3, indicating that the LD pathway works independently from the CLV genes. A model is proposed to explain the interactions between photoperiod and the CLV genes.     

A maize CONSTANS-like gene, conz1, exhibits distinct diurnal expression patterns in varied photoperiods

Maize (Zea mays ssp. mays L.) was domesticated from teosinte (Z. mays L. ssp. parviglumis Iltis & Doebley), a plant requiring short day photoperiods to flower. While photoperiod sensitive landraces of maize exist, post-domestication breeding included efforts to grow maize in a broad range of latitudes. Thus, modern maize is often characterized as day-neutral because time to flower is relatively unaffected by photoperiod. We report the first identification of maize constans of Zea mays1 (conz1), a gene with extensive sequence homology to photoperiod genes CONSTANS (CO) in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh.) and Heading date1 (Hd1) in rice (Oryza sativa L.). conz1 maps to a syntenous chromosomal location relative to Hd1. Additionally, conz1 and two maize homologs of another photoperiod gene exhibit diurnal expression patterns notably similar to their Arabidopsis and rice homologs. The expression pattern of conz1 in long days is distinct from that observed in short days, suggesting that maize is able to discern variations in photoperiod and respond with differential expression of conz1. We offer models to reconcile the differential expression of conz1 with respect to the photoperiod insensitivity exhibited by temperate inbreds. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Sequence data from this article can be found in the GenBank () data library under the following accession numbers: conz1 mRNA: EU098139, EU098140; gigz1A: BK006299; gigz1B: BK006298.     

水稻感光性和光敏不育性的发育遗传关系

在人工气候室控制的光长与温度下,用光敏不育系7001S与早中熟粳稻(Oryza sativa ssp,japoni-ca)感光性弱的“秋光”、“有芒早粳”和“CPSLO-l7”3个品种分别杂交,分析了杂种F_1、F_2植株育性与感光性的表现,以及两者的关系。结果表明:这3个组合的恢复亲本均属于具两对光敏不育的恢复基因的品种。F_1植株均倾向晚熟亲本,说明控制感光性强的基因属于显性。F_2植株在长日照下表现为不育株的感光性均倾向感光性强的亲本;且有不少不育株为晚熟超亲;在少数弱感光性的植株中没有不育株。说明光敏不育基因与感光性基因关系密切,可能两者有连锁关系,光敏不育基因要在感光性基因表达的基础上才能表达。     

Combinations of Hd2 and Hd4 genes determine rice adaptability to Heilongjiang Province,northern limit of China

Heading date is a key trait in rice domestication and adaption, and a number of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) have been identified. The rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars in the Heilongjiang Province, t...     

高等植物开花诱导研究进展

高等植物由营养生长向生殖生长转换的过程称为开花诱导。开花诱导过程由遗传和外界环境两个因素决定, 受错综复杂的网络信号传导途径调控。近年来, 在双子叶模式植物拟南芥中, 开花诱导研究取得了很大进展, 探明了控制开花诱导的4条主要途径(光周期途径、春化途径、自主途径和GA途径)及调控机制。研究也表明, 开花基因在拟南芥、水稻以及其他高等植物之间具有很高的保守性。文章对相关研究的最新进展作一综述, 并指出了目前研究中存在的问题及相应的研究对策。     

Photoinhibition and Photooxidation in Leaves of indica and  japonica Rice Under Different Temperatures and Light Intensities

Physiological indices related to the efficiency （ Fv/Fm ） of light energy conversion in PSⅡ and the peroxidation of membrane lipid were measured in leaves of Oryza sativa L. sp. indica rice cv. “Shanyou 63” and sp. japonica rice cv. “9516” under different temperatures and light intensities for 4 days. No changes in Fv/Fm and membrane lipid peroxidation product (MDA) were observed, so neither photoinhibition nor photooxidation happened in both rice cultivars under moderate temperature and medium light intensity. However, Fv/Fm dropped obviously with no change in MDA contents, and photoinhibition appeared in indica rice cv. “Shanyou 63” under medium temperature and strong light intensity. Furthermore, both photoinhibition and photooxidation were observed in two rice cultivars under chilling temperature and strong light intensity. Experiments with inhibitors under chilling temperature and strong light intensity showed that indica rice had a decrease in D1 protein content and SOD activity, and the extent of inhibition of xanthophyll cycle and nonphotochemical quenching ( qN ) was larger, and a higher level of MDA was observed. The photoinhibition and photooxidation in indica rice were more distinct as compared with japonica rice. The authors suggested that PSⅡ light energy conversion efficiency ( Fv/Fm ) and membrane lipid peroxidation were the key indices for the detection of photooxidation.