Constitutive expression of the Poplar FD‐like basic leucine zipper transcription factor alters growth and bud development

In poplar, the CO/FT regulatory module mediates seasonal growth cessation. Although FT interacts with the basic leucine zipper transcription factor FD, surprisingly little is known about the possible role of FD in bud development and growth cessation in trees. In this study, we examined the expression and localization of the poplar FD homolog, PtFD1, during short‐day (SD)‐induced bud development, and the consequences of overexpressing PtFD1 on bud development and shoot growth. PtFD1 was primarily expressed in apical and axillary buds and exhibited a transient increase in expression during the initial stages of SD‐induced bud development. This transient increase declined with continued SD treatment. When PtFD1 was overexpressed in poplar, SD‐induced growth cessation and bud formation were abolished. PTFD1 overexpression also resulted in precocious flowering of juvenile plants in long‐day (LD) photoperiods. Because the phenotypes associated with overexpression of PtFD1 are similar to those observe when poplar FT1 is overexpressed (Science, 312, 2006, 1040), the expression and diurnal patterns of expression of both poplar FT1 and FT2 were characterized in PtFD1 overexpression poplars and found to be altered. DNA microarray analysis revealed few differences in gene expression between PtFD1 overexpressing poplars in LD conditions while extensive levels of differential gene expression occur in SD‐treated plants. These results enforce the connection between the regulation of flowering and the regulation of growth cessation and bud development in poplar.