Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology – Micro-organism – tissue cell culture or enzyme using process... – Preparing compound containing saccharide radical
Patent
1997-12-01
2000-10-31
Yucel, Remy
Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology
Micro-organism, tissue cell culture or enzyme using process...
Preparing compound containing saccharide radical
4353201, 435419, 536 231, 536 241, 800278, 800286, 800287, 800290, C12P 1934
Patent
active
061400858
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to the genetic control of flowering in plants and the cloning and expression of genes involved therein. More particularly, the invention relates to the cloning and expression of the FCA gene of Arabidopsis thaliana, and homologues from other species, and manipulation and use of these genes in plants.
Efficient flowering in plants is important, particularly when the intended product is the flower or the seed produced therefrom. One aspect of this is the timing of flowering: advancing or retarding the onset of flowering can be useful to farmers and seed producers. An understanding of the genetic mechanisms which influence flowering provides a means for altering the flowering characteristics of the target plant. Species for which flowering is important to crop production are numerous, essentially all crops which are grown from seed, with important examples being the cereals, rice and maize, probably the most agronomically important in warmer climatic zones, and wheat, barley, oats and rye in more temperate climates. Important seed products are oil seed rape, sugar beet, maize, sunflower, soybean and sorghum. Many crops which are harvested for their roots are, of course, grown annually from seed and the production of seed of any kind is very dependent upon the ability of the plant to flower, to be pollinated and to set seed. In horticulture, control of the timing of flowering is important. Horticultural plants whose flowering may be controlled include lettuce, endive and vegetable brassicas including cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower, and carnations and geraniums.
Arabidopsis thaliana is a facultative long day plant, flowering early under long days and late under short days. Because it has a small, well-characterized genome, is relatively easily transformed and regenerated and has a rapid growing cycle, Arabidopsis is an ideal model plant in which to study flowering and its control.
One of the genes required for rapid floral induction is the FCA gene (Koornneef et al 1991). Plants carrying mutations of this gene flower much later than wild-type under long photoperiods and short photoperiods. There is a considerable range in flowering time within different mutant fca alleles. The most extreme (fca-1) flowers under long photoperiods with up to 40 leaves whereas fca-3, fca-4 flower with .about.20 rosette leaves compared to 9 for wild-type Landsberg erecta). The late flowering of all the fca mutants can be overcome to early flowering in both long and short photoperiods if imbibed seeds, or plants of different developmental ages, are given 3-8 weeks at 4.degree. C.--a vernalization treatment (Chandler and Dean 1994).
We have cloned and sequenced the FCA gene of Arabidopsis thaliana, a homologue from Brassica and mutant sequences.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide with FCA function. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that "FCA function" refers to the ability to influence the timing of flowering phenotypically like the FCA gene of Arabidopsis thaliana, especially the ability to complement an fca mutation in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Nucleic acid according to the invention may encode a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence shown in FIG. 2 SEQ ID NO:3, or an allele, variant, derivative or mutant thereof. Particular variants include those wherein the amino acid residues up-stream of the third methionine and/or up-stream of the second methionine in the amino acid sequence of FIG. 2 SEQ ID NO:3 are not included. Variants, mutants and derivatives of nucleic acid encoding such shorter polypeptide are of course provided by various embodiments of the present invention.
Nucleic acid according to the present invention may have the sequence of an FCA gene of Arabidopsis thaliana, or be a mutant, variant (or derivative) or allele of the sequence provided. Preferred mutants, variants and alleles are those which encode a protein which retains a functional characteristic of the protei
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Bancroft Ian
Dean Caroline
Lister Clare Katharine
Macknight Richard Colin
Plant Bioscience Limited
Yucel Remy
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