The wheat VRN2 gene is a flowering repressor down-regulated by vernalization

Science. 2004 Mar 12;303(5664):1640-4. doi: 10.1126/science.1094305.

Abstract

Plants with a winter growth habit flower earlier when exposed for several weeks to cold temperatures, a process called vernalization. We report here the positional cloning of the wheat vernalization gene VRN2, a dominant repressor of flowering that is down-regulated by vernalization. Loss of function of VRN2, whether by natural mutations or deletions, resulted in spring lines, which do not require vernalization to flower. Reduction of the RNA level of VRN2 by RNA interference accelerated the flowering time of transgenic winter-wheat plants by more than a month.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Alleles
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Arabidopsis / growth & development
  • Base Sequence
  • Chromosome Mapping
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Cold Temperature*
  • Down-Regulation
  • Epistasis, Genetic
  • Evolution, Molecular
  • Flowers / growth & development*
  • Gene Deletion
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant*
  • Genes, Plant
  • Genetic Variation
  • Hordeum / genetics
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • Plant Proteins / chemistry
  • Plant Proteins / genetics
  • Plant Proteins / physiology
  • Plants, Genetically Modified
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • RNA Interference
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • RNA, Plant / genetics
  • RNA, Plant / metabolism
  • Seasons
  • Transcription, Genetic
  • Triticum / genetics*
  • Triticum / growth & development*

Substances

  • Plant Proteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA, Plant

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AY485644