Morphological, phenological, and transcriptional analyses provide insight into the diverse flowering traits of a mutant of the relic woody plant Liriodendron chinense

Abstract

Flowering is crucial to plant reproduction and controlled by multiple factors. However, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of flowering in perennial plants are still largely unknown. Here, we first report a super long blooming 1 (slb1) mutant of the relict tree Liriodendron chinense possessing a prolonged blooming period of more than 5 months, in contrast to the 1 month blooming period in the wild type (WT). Phenotypic characterization showed that earlier maturation of lateral shoots was caused by accelerated axillary bud fate, leading to the phenotype of continuous flowering in slb1 mutants. The transcriptional activity of genes related to hormone signaling (auxin, cytokinin, and strigolactone), nutrient availability, and oxidative stress relief further indicated active outgrowth of lateral buds in slb1 mutants. Interestingly, we discovered a unique FT splicing variant with intron retention specific to slb1 mutants, representing a potential causal mutation in the slb1 mutants. Surprisingly, most slb1 inbred offspring flowered precociously with shorter juvenility (~4 months) than that (usually 8–10 years) required in WT plants, indicating heritable variation underlying continuous flowering in slb1 mutants. This study reports an example of a perennial tree mutant that flowers continuously, providing a rare resource for both breeding and genetic research.

Insight Into the Multiple Branches Traits of a Mutant in Larix olgensis by Morphological, Cytological, and Transcriptional Analyses

“…Moreover, our study identified more TFs than previously reported, suggesting the role of a more complex transcriptional regulation network for mutant plant development (Yang et al, 2018). Particularly, the expression levels of genes from the same TF families varied in different samples, which was consistent with a previously reported study on flowering traits of Liriodendron chinense mutant (Sheng et al, 2021). These results suggest that compared with wild-type plants, some DEGs encoding transcription factor may play a role in mutant development and affect the generation of specific traits, leading to differential traits between wild-type and mutant plants.…”

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of SnRK2 Gene Family in Dormant Vegetative Buds of Liriodendron chinense in Response to Abscisic Acid, Chilling, and Photoperiod

“…Using A. thaliana SnRK2s as a reference, the protein sequences of the L. chinense SnRK2 family members were found in a specific genome database ( , accessed on 5 June 2022). SnRK2’s protein sequence was analyzed by the Pfam database ( , accessed on 5 June 2022) and matched with a domain profile (PF00069) [ 3 ].…”

“…tulipifera , also known as the tulip tree or yellow poplar, is a particular species found in the eastern United States that may grow to heights of up to 30.48 m [ 1 ]. Liriodendron is an excellent decorative tree for landscaping because of its straight trunk, conical crown, unusual leaf shape, and tulip-shaped blooms [ 2 , 3 ]. Liriodendron has also been frequently planted as an industrial timber species because of its quick growth and adaptable wood with superior working characteristics [ 3 ].…”

“…Liriodendron is an excellent decorative tree for landscaping because of its straight trunk, conical crown, unusual leaf shape, and tulip-shaped blooms [ 2 , 3 ]. Liriodendron has also been frequently planted as an industrial timber species because of its quick growth and adaptable wood with superior working characteristics [ 3 ]. It is highly prized for its honey production, as a food source for wildlife, and its potential medical benefits [ 3 ].…”

“…Liriodendron has also been frequently planted as an industrial timber species because of its quick growth and adaptable wood with superior working characteristics [ 3 ]. It is highly prized for its honey production, as a food source for wildlife, and its potential medical benefits [ 3 ]. Studies have shown that extracts from Liriodendron leaves have potent cytotoxic effects on tumor cell lines and inhibitory activities against farnesyl protein transferase (FPTase) and tumor cell growth [ 1 ].…”