Expression profiles of a CONSTANS homologue GmCOL11 in Glycine max

Soybean (Glycine max L.) is a typical short-day crop, and its flowering is strictly restricted by specific photoperiod conditions. CONSTANS (CO) plays a pivotal role in the photoperiod pathway of flowering regulation. CO-like genes are present in many plant species. Here we describe the isolation of the CO homologue GmCOL11 (Glycine max CO-like 11) from the soybean cv. Kennong 18. Sequence comparisons show that GmCOL11 is a group II CO-like gene with some similarity to AtCOL6 and AtCOL16. Its sequence includes a conserved B box and a CCT domain. The study of GmCOL11 expression using quantitative real time RT-PCR demonstrated that this gene was regulated in a diurnal rather than in a circadian manner. The gene was expressed throughout the plant, but mainly in adult leaves and maturing seeds; its expression was enhanced following flowering. Apparently GmCOL11 is involved in several aspects of soybean development.