Biologia plantarum 2015, 59:47-54 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-014-0461-2

Ectopic expression of soybean methionine synthase delays flowering time in transgenic tobacco plants

A. H. Sha2,3, Z. L. Gao1, H. Wu1, D. Z. Lin1, Q. L. Zhang1, Y. H. Chen1,*
1 Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource and College of Agriculture, Hainan University, Haikou, P.R China
2 Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Wuhan, P.R China
3 College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, P.R China

A photoperiod-sensitive soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr] cv. ZhongDou 24 (ZD24) exhibiting delayed flowering when grown under long-days (LD, a 16-h photoperiod) was used to identify the genetic control of flowering delay. A differential expression profiling technique enabled identification of a gene fragment that was up-regulated under LD. This fragment was homologous to a gene encoding methionine synthase (MS) in soybean and was named GmMS. The RNA content confirmed that GmMS was expressed in roots, stems, and leaves of soybean grown under LD. The highest expression was in stems. Full length GmMS, encoding 763 amino acids, was transferred into tobacco plants. The ectopic expression of GmMS in tobacco resulted in delayed flowering. Other effects included stunting, an increased MS activity and methionine content, a higher content of alcohol-soluble proteins and of chlorophylls, and a lower content of anthocyanins.

Keywords: anthocyanin; chlorophyll; ectopic expression; Glycine max; photoperiod response; protein
Subjects: methionine synthase; flowering; transgenic plants; anthocyanins; chlorophyll; photoperiod; phylogenetic tree; soybean; tobacco
Species: Glycine max; Nicotiana tabacum

Received: December 29, 2013; Revised: August 28, 2014; Accepted: August 29, 2014; Published: January 1, 2015Show citation

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Sha, A.H., Gao, Z.L., Wu, H., Lin, D.Z., Zhang, Q.L., & Chen, Y.H. (2015). Ectopic expression of soybean methionine synthase delays flowering time in transgenic tobacco plants. Biologia plantarum, 59(1), 47-54. doi: 10.1007/s10535-014-0461-2.
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