@Article{phyton.2022.022225,
AUTHOR = {Junsheng Sun, Haozhen Zhang, Mingxia Zhang, Sishen Li, Yanrong An},
TITLE = {Overexpression of Wheat <i>TaELF3-1BL</i> Delays Flowering in Arabidopsis},
JOURNAL = {Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany},
VOLUME = {92},
YEAR = {2023},
NUMBER = {1},
PAGES = {79--90},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/phyton/v92n1/49582},
ISSN = {1851-5657},
ABSTRACT = {<i>EARLY FLOWERING 3</i> (<i>ELF3</i>), a light zeitnehmer (time-taker) gene, regulates circadian rhythm and photoperiodic flowering in Arabidopsis, rice, and barley. The three orthologs of <i>ELF3</i> (<i>TaELF3-1AL</i>, <i>TaELF3-1BL</i>, and
<i>TaELF3-1DL</i>) have been identified in wheat too, and one gene, <i>TaELF3-1DL</i>, has been associated with heading
date. However, the basic characteristics of these three genes and the roles of the other two genes, <i>TaELF3-1BL</i>
and, <i>TaELF3-1AL</i>, remain unknown. Therefore, the present study obtained the coding sequences of the three
orthologs (<i>TaELF3-1AL</i>, <i>TaELF3-1BL</i>, and <i>TaELF3-1DL</i>) of <i>ELF3 </i>from bread wheat and characterized them
and investigated the role of <i>TaELF3-1BL</i> in Arabidopsis. Protein sequence comparison revealed similarities among
the three <i>TaELF3</i> genes of wheat; however, they were different from the Arabidopsis <i>ELF3</i>. Real-time quantitative
PCR revealed <i>TaELF3</i> expression in all wheat tissues tested, with the highest expression in young spikes; the three
genes showed rhythmic expression patterns also. Furthermore, the overexpression of the <i>TaELF3-1BL</i> gene in
Arabidopsis delayed flowering, indicating their importance in flowering. Subsequent overexpression of
<i>TaELF3-1BL</i> in the Arabidopsis <i>ELF3</i> nonfunctional mutant (<i>elf3 </i>mutant) eliminated its early flowering phenotype, and slightly delayed flowering. The wild-type Arabidopsis overexpressing <i>TaELF3-1BL</i> demonstrated
reduced expression levels of flowering-related genes, such as <i>CONSTANS</i> (<i>AtCO</i>), <i>FLOWERING LOCUS T</i> (<i>AtFT</i>),
and <i>GIGANTEA</i> (<i>AtGI</i>). Thus, the study characterized the three <i>TaELF3</i> genes and associated <i>TaELF3-1BL</i> with
flowering in Arabidopsis, suggesting a role in regulating flowering in wheat too. These findings provide a basis for
further research on <i>TaELF3</i> functions in wheat.},
DOI = {10.32604/phyton.2022.022225}
}