IMR Press / FBL / Volume 29 / Issue 4 / DOI: 10.31083/j.fbl2904156
Open Access Original Research
Effect of Photoperiod Duration on Flower Bud Differentiation and Related Gene Expression in Bougainvillea glabra ‘Sao Paulo’
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1 College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, 510550 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
*Correspondence: huijunai@zhku.edu.cn (Junai Hui)
These authors contributed equally.
Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2024, 29(4), 156; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.fbl2904156
Submitted: 30 December 2023 | Revised: 14 March 2024 | Accepted: 29 March 2024 | Published: 22 April 2024
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Background: Environmental conditions, such as photoperiod, affect the developmental response of plants; thus, plants have evolved molecular mechanisms to adapt to changes in photoperiod. In Bougainvillea spp., the mechanism of flower formation underlying flowering control techniques remains poorly understood, and the physiological changes that occur during flower bud formation and the expression of related genes are not yet fully understood. Methods: In this study, we induced flowering of potted Bougainvillea glabra ‘Sao Paulo’ plants under light-control treatments and analyzed their effects on flowering time, number of flower buds, flowering quality, as well as quality of flower formation, which was analyzed using transcriptome sequencing. Results: Light-control treatment effectively induced the rapid formation of flower buds and early flowering in B. glabra ‘Sao Paulo’, with the time of flower bud formation being 119 days earlier and the flowering period extended six days longer than those of the control plants. The light-control treatment caused the bracts to become smaller and lighter in color, while the number of flowers increased, and the neatness of flowering improved. Transcriptome sequencing of the apical buds identified 1235 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to the pathways of environmental adaptation, biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites, glycan biosynthesis and metabolism, and energy metabolism. DEGs related to gibberellin metabolism were analyzed, wherein five DEGs were identified between the control and treatment groups. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the gibberellin regulatory pathway is linked to flowering. Specifically, GA and GID1 levels increased during this process, enhancing DELLA protein degradation. However, decreasing this protein’s binding to CO did not halt FT upregulation, thereby advancing the flowering of B. glabra ‘Sao Paulo’. Conclusions: The findings of our study have implications for future research on photoperiod and its role in controlling flowering timing of Bougainvillea spp.

Keywords
Bougainvillea glabra ‘Sao Paulo’
short sunlight
flower bud formation
RNA-Seq
Funding
202002020028/Huadu Flower Production Key Technology Research and Development and Integrated Application of Guangzhou Science and Technology Plan
Figures
Fig. 1.
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