TY - JOUR

T1 - Expression of KxhKN4 and KxhKN5 genes in Kalanchoë blossfeldiana "Molly" results in novel compact plant phenotypes

T2 - towards a cisgenesis alternative to growth retardants

AU - Lütken, Henrik Vlk

AU - Laura, Marina

AU - Borghi, Cristina

AU - Ørgaard, Marian

AU - Allavena, Andrea

AU - Rasmussen, Søren K.

PY - 2011

Y1 - 2011

N2 - Many potted plants like Kalanchoe¨ have an elongated natural growth habit, which has to be controlled through the application of growth regulators. These chemicals will be banned in the near future in all the EU countries. Besides their structural functions, the importance of homeotic genes to modify plant architecture appears evident. In this work, the full length cDNA of five KNOX (KN) genes were sequenced from K. x houghtonii, a viviparous hybrid. Two constructs with the coding sequence of the class I and class II homeobox KN genes, KxhKN5 and KxhKN4, respectively, were overexpressed in the commercially important ornamental Kalanchoe¨ blossfeldiana ‘Molly’. Furthermore, a post-transcriptional gene silencing construct was made with a partial sequence of KxhKN5 and also transformed into ‘Molly’. Several transgenic plants exhibited compact phenotypes and some lines had a relative higher number of inflorescences. A positive correlation between gene expression levels and the degree of compactness was found. However, a correlation between the induced phenotypes and the number of inserted copies of the transgene were not observed,

AB - Many potted plants like Kalanchoe¨ have an elongated natural growth habit, which has to be controlled through the application of growth regulators. These chemicals will be banned in the near future in all the EU countries. Besides their structural functions, the importance of homeotic genes to modify plant architecture appears evident. In this work, the full length cDNA of five KNOX (KN) genes were sequenced from K. x houghtonii, a viviparous hybrid. Two constructs with the coding sequence of the class I and class II homeobox KN genes, KxhKN5 and KxhKN4, respectively, were overexpressed in the commercially important ornamental Kalanchoe¨ blossfeldiana ‘Molly’. Furthermore, a post-transcriptional gene silencing construct was made with a partial sequence of KxhKN5 and also transformed into ‘Molly’. Several transgenic plants exhibited compact phenotypes and some lines had a relative higher number of inflorescences. A positive correlation between gene expression levels and the degree of compactness was found. However, a correlation between the induced phenotypes and the number of inserted copies of the transgene were not observed,

U2 - 10.1007/s00299-011-1132-9

DO - 10.1007/s00299-011-1132-9

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 21850596

VL - 30

SP - 2267

EP - 2279

JO - Plant Cell Reports

JF - Plant Cell Reports

SN - 0721-7714

IS - 12

ER -