Effects of seed vernalisation and photoperiod on flowering induction in the halophyte Thellungiella halophila
Yuhua Guo A , Dian Wang A , Wenjuan Jia A , Jie Song A , Jianchao Yang A and Baoshan Wang A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Research, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, 250014, Jinan, P.R. China.
B Corresponding author. Email: bswang@sdnu.edu.cn
Australian Journal of Botany 60(8) 743-748 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT12180
Submitted: 9 July 2012 Accepted: 17 September 2012 Published: 30 November 2012
Abstract
Salt cress, Thellungiella halophila, is a late-flowering, halophytic plant that requires a prolonged period of vernalisation to flower. This poorly defined vernalisation requirement restricts the use of T. halophila as a model plant for the study of salt-stress tolerance. To facilitate research on T. halophila, the present study quantified the effects of seed vernalisation and photoperiod on its flowering. Imbibed seeds of T. halophila responded to a cold treatment (4°C), and flowering was optimal after 30 days of seed vernalisation. A longer vernalisation period shortened the time until the first flower appeared, increased the number of flowers and reduced expression of ThFLC (a repressor of flowering). Plants growing from seed that had been vernalised for 30 days did not flower when daylength was <9 h, and daylengths >9 h promoted flowering. Therefore, like for many plants in this clade of the Brassicaceae, vernalisation requirement and long-day response are features of T. halophila. These results will facilitate the use T. halophila as a model plant for the study of abiotic stress.
Additional keywords: daylength, ecotype, FLC, seed vernalisation duration.
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