Differential expression of two <Emphasis Type="Italic">CONSTANS-LIKE1</Emphasis> genes in potato

Although the CONSTANS gene and its CONSTANS-LIKE1 (COL1) orthologs are known to control the photoperiod-dependent floral transition in many plant species, the role of these genes in Solanum development has not been sufficiently elucidated. Previously we characterized two forms of CONSTANS-LIKE1 genes, sCOL1 and lCOL1, in potato (Solanum tuberosum ssp. tuberosum). To prove that these genes were functional, we followed their expression in potato cv. Early Rose with the real-time PCR technique. Both sCOL1 and lCOL1 displayed characteristic day-night patterns of expression under long-day and short-day conditions. The profiles and amplitudes of expression dramatically differed in two genes, with the maximum sCOL1 expression exceeding that of lCOL1 by an order of magnitude.