A set of three genes regulates photoperiodic responses of flowering in rice (Oryza sativa).

Differentiation in photoperiodic response of flowering has been key to the evolution and wide geographic distribution of rice, an essentially short-day plant. Crosses were made such that the hybrid F1 plants flower later than the late-flowering parents to investigate the genetic basis underlying this differentiation. From initial experiments, three major genes for flowering time were identified from four naturally occurring variants under natural long-day conditions. An F2-derived trigenic mutant line bred-true for a day-neutral response was selected and used as the recipient to synchronize the genetic background for the major genes. Experiments conducted under various daylengths indicated that these genes are responsible for photoperiodic sensitivity and the trihybrid has a critical daylength between 13.5 and 14 h. The three genes regulate photoperiodic responses qualitatively and quantitatively through complementary and other epistatic effects, respectively. The complementation suggests that the three genes act in a linear manner to repress the transition from the vegetative to reproductive phases under long daylengths. This set of genes also provides a model to understand the genetic mechanism underlying the elongated vegetative growth period in the F1 generation, which is usually an obstacle to the use of heterosis, and the selection for early maturation in rice breeding.