ISOLATION OF FULL-LENGTH CDNAS WITH PUTATIVE FUNCTIONS IN ALMOND (PRUNUS DULCIS MILL.) FLOWERING

In almond, as in most fruit species, blooming time is considered to be inherited quantitatively.
The LATEBLOOMING gene and some QTLs have been identified as being involved in the control of blooming time and were placed on the Prunus reference genetic map, but their sequences and specific functions remain unknown.
As an attempt to uncover the identity of the LATEBLOOMING gene and the genes within the QTLs, a candidate gene approach was followed.
The candidate genes were partial cDNAs or ESTs either from almond or peach, which showed sequence homologies with flowering regulatory genes previously characterized in other species.
We used the nucleotide sequences from some of these candidate genes to design specific primer for the amplification of the respective almond full-length cDNAs.
In total six cDNAs were cloned.
Three of these code for MADS-box proteins, one seems to be a putative homologue of LEAFY and the other two code for proteins identical to CONSTANS-LIKE proteins and Gibberellin 20-oxidase, respectively.
The characterization of the six cDNAs and respective deduced proteins revealed features that confirm their putative identities.
Moreover the preliminary expression studies undertaken suggest that these genes may be involved in the molecular mechanisms underlying flowering in almond, and that some of these mechanisms could be conserved between annual and perennial plants.

International Symposium on Biotechnology of Temperate Fruit Crops and Tropical Species

C. Silva, A.M. Sanchez, M.M. Oliveira

MADS-box genes, LEAFY, CONSTANS, gibberellins, flowering, almond

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2007.738.89