Flowering

Question 1

what are some challenges in studying flowering

Answer 1

long juvenile period
large plant size
large genome size
different flowering lifestyles

Question 2

define monocarpy

Answer 2

produces flowers, sets seeds and then dies

Question 3

define polycarpy

Answer 3

able to produce flowers and seeds several times in succession

Question 4

advantages of using Arabidopsis to study flowering

Answer 4

short life cycle and small size
compact genome
many flowering time mutants
easily transformed
natural variation in flowering time
relatively simple developmental phases

Question 5

advantages of using rice to study flowering

Answer 5

taxonomically distinct
diploid genome
12 chromosomes
easily transformed

Question 6

how is flowering time often measured in arabidopsis?

Answer 6

counting leaves (rosette and caudal)
count days from germination to flowering

Question 7

how does the autonomous pathway induce flowering

Answer 7

FCA suppresses FLC
FLC not present to suppress FT and SOC1, so they’re active
SOC1 induces change from vegetative to flowering phase

Question 8

how does the vernalisation pathway induce flowering

Answer 8

suppresses FLC
FLC not present to suppress FT and SOC1, so they’re active
SOC1 induces change from vegetative to flowering phase

Question 9

how does the photoperiod pathway induce flowering

Answer 9

GI activates CO
CO activates FT
FT activates SOC1
SOC1 induces vegetative –> flowering

Question 10

what is SOC1

Answer 10

a floral integrator gene
rapid increase in expression at SAM after long day induction
induces flowering

Question 11

what is vernalisation

Answer 11

promoting flowering with cold