Genetic Control of flowering in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana)

Transition from vegetative growth to reproductive phase is one of the most important developments in plants life. This phenomenon is influenced by many genetic and physiological factors in higher plants. Identification of these factors is an important aim in breeding of many plants. In recent decades, Arabidopsis has been used as a model plant in many studies related to flowering pathways and many paths has been found in this plant. Transition to flowering stage is regulated by flower causing genes including FT, TSF, SOC1 and AGL24 which induce identification of flowering meristem genes through the paths of photoperiod, vernalization, spontaneous and gibberellin. Photoperiodism is one of the most important environmental affecting factors in transition to flowering influenced by light receptors of phytochrome and cryptochrome, and CO and FT genes. FLC gene which is mainly responsible for vernalization in Arabidopsis, directly is as a repressor of FT and SOC1 flowering regulators and prevents the transition to flowering. Autonomous pathway genes are largely independent from the environmental conditions, and prevent the FLC expression by RNA-based control process or chromatin change. Finally, the gibberellin acts as a flowering accelerator when the photoperiodism pathway is inactive. In the present paper, the mechanism of flowering control for Arabidopsis plant is investigated and its importance in plant breeding is described.