Abstract:
To explore the effect of Flowering Locus T (FT) gene on the flowering of tobacco and stimulate its utility in tobacco breeding. FT gene was cloned by RT-PCR from Arabidopsis. After confirmation by sequencing and digestion, the fragment with proper digested sites was inserted into plant expression vector P22, and the expression vector FT-P22 was constructed. Then FT gene was introduced into Coker371 gold tobacco genome by
Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, and 26 positive clones obtained. The result shows that the FT gene exhibited more influence on morphology and flowering of flue-cured tobacco variety Coker371 gold than wild type. The average leaf number of transgenic plant was less 15-16 pieces than control, their average height shorted 80 cm, and their budding time was ahead of about 75 days. By using the self-fertilization segregation population of positive plant and the hybridization separation group between positive plants and the control plants, we had got two positive plants with single copy of the FT gene. The transgenic FT tobacco could induce the early blossoming and short the half time of breeding cycle, the single copy segregation plant exhibited the very important utility value in speeding up the breeding process of tobacco.