Researchers from NUS Department of Biological
Sciences and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory have found what triggers plants
to flower, a discovery that can potentially increase crop yields significantly
in changing environments.
The findings were published in the 17 April issue of leading online journalPLoS
Biology.
Using the yeast two-hybrid screening method, Assoc
Prof Yu Hao and team members - Mr Liu Lu, Dr Liu Chang, Dr Hou Xingliang, Dr Xi
Wanyan, Dr Shen Lisha, Dr Tao Zhen and Ms Wang Yue - scanned some three million
samples for proteins in plants over a period of five years. They identified a
protein called FT-Interacting Protein 1 (FTIP1) which is essential for a plant
to produce flower under normal light conditions.
They found that plants with mutant non-functional
versions of the FTIP1 gene flowered much later under normal light conditions.
When such mutants were given a working version of this gene, their flowering
time was largely restored to normal. Thus, the results suggested that FTIP1 had
an important role in the control of flowering under light.
"This research shows that we can manipulate
flowering time through controlling key regulators like FTIP1," shared
Assoc Prof Yu. The findings also shed light on what trigger plants to produce
flowers instead of leaves under different environmental conditions.
An implication of the study is that FTIP1 and genes
similar to it can be used as molecular markers for both classical plant
breeding and targeted genetic modification for desirable flowering traits.
Assoc Prof Yu - whose research areas include functional
genomics, plant growth regulation and plant physiology - will work with his
team to further investigate other factors critical in controlling flowering and
key developmental processes in plants.
