Research Progress on Photoperiod Gene Regulation of Heading Date in Rice

Overview

Journal Curr Issues Mol Biol

Publisher MDPI

Specialty Molecular Biology

Date 2024 Sep 27

PMID 39329965

Authors

Jian Song

Liqun Tang

Yongtao Cui

Honghuan Fan

Xueqiang Zhen

Jianjun Wang

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Heading date is a critical physiological process in rice that is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. The photoperiodic pathway is a primary regulatory mechanism for rice heading, with key florigen genes (Heading date 3a) and (RICE FLOWERING LOCUS T1) playing central roles. Upstream regulatory pathways, including and , also significantly impact this process. This review aims to provide a comprehensive examination of the localization, cloning, and functional roles of photoperiodic pathway-related genes in rice, and to explore the interactions among these genes as well as their pleiotropic effects on heading date. We systematically review recent advancements in the identification and functional analysis of genes involved in the photoperiodic pathway. We also discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying rice heading date variation and highlight the intricate interactions between key regulatory genes. Significant progress has been made in understanding the molecular mechanisms of heading date regulation through the cloning and functional analysis of photoperiod-regulating genes. However, the regulation of heading date remains complex, and many underlying mechanisms are not yet fully elucidated. This review consolidates current knowledge on the photoperiodic regulation of heading date in rice, emphasizing novel findings and gaps in the research. It highlights the need for further exploration of the interactions among flowering-related genes and their response to environmental signals. Despite advances, the full regulatory network of heading date remains unclear. Further research is needed to elucidate the intricate gene interactions, transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms, and the role of epigenetic factors such as histone methylation in flowering time regulation. This review provides a detailed overview of the current understanding of photoperiodic pathway genes in rice, setting the stage for future research to address existing gaps and improve our knowledge of rice flowering regulation.

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