METHODS OF PRODUCING EARLY FLOWERING AND ENHANCED AGRONOMIC TRAITS IN PLANTS

摘要

The present invention relates to a method for the production of plants with altered flowering time and improved agronomic traits by using profilin gene. Over- and under-expression of transprofilin can be accomplished by genetic transformation method using profilin gene coding sequence and antisense profilin gene sequence driven by a constitutive viral promoter, respectively. Ectopic expression of heterologous profilin gene in tobacco produced hyper-activation of apical meristem and early flowering time phenotypes with a substantial increase in the flower number compared to untransformed plants. In profilin over-expression plants, flowering time phenotype is altered via coordinated expression of floral homeotic genes. Plants with reduced profilin expression showed reverse effects on these phenotypes. Over-expression of profilin in tobacco also showed increased plant height, prolonged internode length, bigger leaf size, and enhanced plant vigor.