Constitutive expression of Arabidopsis LEAFY or APETALA1 genes in citrus reduces their generation time

  1. Pẽa, L. 3
  2. Martín-Trillo, M. 12
  3. Juárez, José A.. 3
  4. Pina, J.A. 3
  5. Navarro, L. 3
  6. Martínez-Zapater, J.M. 12
  1. 1 Centro Nacional de Biotecnología
    info

    Centro Nacional de Biotecnología

    Madrid, España

    ROR https://ror.org/015w4v032

  2. 2 Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria
    info

    Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria

    Madrid, España

    ROR https://ror.org/011q66e29

  3. 3 Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias
    info

    Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias

    Moncada i Reixac, España

    ROR https://ror.org/00kx3fw88

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Revista:
Nature Biotechnology

ISSN: 1087-0156

Año de publicación: 2001

Volumen: 19

Número: 3

Páginas: 263-267

Tipo: Artículo

DOI: 10.1038/85719 PMID: 11231561 SCOPUS: 2-s2.0-0035100143 GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openAcceso abierto editor

Otras publicaciones en: Nature Biotechnology

Resumen

Citrus trees have a long juvenile phase that delays their reproductive development by between 6 and 20 years, depending on the species. With the aim of accelerating their flowering time, we transformed juvenile citrus seedlings to constitutively express the Arabidopsis LEAFY (LFY) or APETALA1 (AP1) genes, which promote flower initiation in Arabidopsis. Both types of transgenic citrus produced fertile flowers and fruits as early as the first year, notably through a mechanism involving an appreciable shortening of their juvenile phase. Furthermore, expression of AP1 was as efficient as LFY in the initiation of flowers, and did not produce any severe developmental abnormality. Both types of transgenic trees flowered in consecutive years, and their flowering response was under environmental control. In addition, zygotic and nucellar derived transgenic seedlings had a very short juvenile phase and flowered in their first spring, demonstrating the stability and inheritance of this trait. These results open new possibilities for domestication, genetic improvement, and experimental research in citrus and other woody species.