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Shi Y, Zhang S, Gui Q, Qing H, Li M, Yi C, Guo H, Chen H, Xu J, Ding F. The SOC1 gene plays an important role in regulating litchi flowering time. Genomics 2024; 116:110804. [PMID: 38307485 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2024.110804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is a valuable subtropical fruit tree with high-quality fruit. However, its economic benefits and sustainable development are restrained by a number of challenges. One major challenge is the lack of extremely early and late maturing high-quality varieties due to limited availability of varieties suitable for commercial cultivation and outdated breeding methods, resulting in an imbalanced supply and low price of litchi. Flowering time is a crucial genetic factor influencing the maturation period of litchi. Our previous research has highlighted the pivotal role of the LcFT1 gene in regulating the flowering time of litchi and identified a gene associated with LcFT1 (named as LcSOC1) based on RNA-Seq and weight gene co-expression network (WGCNA) analysis. This study further investigated the function of LcSOC1. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that LcSOC1 is primarily localized in the nucleus, where it acts as a transcription factor. LcSOC1 overexpression in Nicotiana tabacum and Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in significant early flowering. Furthermore, LcSOC1 was found to be expressed in various tissues, with the highest expression in mature leaves. Analysis of spatial and temporal expression patterns of LcSOC1 in litchi varieties with different flowering time under low temperature treatment and across an annual cycle demonstrated that LcSOC1 is responsive to low temperature induction. Interestingly, early maturing varieties exhibited higher sensitivity to low temperature, with significantly premature induction of LcSOC1 expression relative to late maturing varieties. Activation of LcSOC1 triggered the transition of litchi into the flowering phase. These findings demonstrate that LcSOC1 plays a pivotal role in regulating the flowering process and determining the flowering time in litchi. Overall, this study provides theoretical guidance and important target genes for molecular breeding to regulate litchi production period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyu Shi
- College of Agriculture, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Industry Development Research Institute, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 530004, China
| | - Shuwei Zhang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement of Crops, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi 530007, China.
| | - Qiulin Gui
- College of Agriculture, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Industry Development Research Institute, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 530004, China
| | - Haowei Qing
- College of Agriculture, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Industry Development Research Institute, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 530004, China
| | - Ming Li
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement of Crops, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi 530007, China
| | - Chenxin Yi
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement of Crops, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi 530007, China
| | - Huiqin Guo
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement of Crops, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi 530007, China
| | - Houbin Chen
- Maoming Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Maoming 525000, China
| | - Jiongzhi Xu
- College of Agriculture, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Industry Development Research Institute, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 530004, China
| | - Feng Ding
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement of Crops, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi 530007, China.
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