大豆光周期反应与生育期基因研究进展

Research Progresses on Photoperiodic Flowering and Maturity Genes in Soybean(Glycine max Merr.)

20世纪20年代,植物学家Garner与Allard在研究大豆与烟草等植物的光反应时发现了植物光周期现象。大豆作为模式植物对光周期现象的理论形成起了重要作用。但大豆基因组的复杂性及相关功能基因的不明确性严重阻碍了学者对大豆光周期现象本质的认识。近年来,随着控制大豆生育期主要QTL基因的相继克隆,特别是对大豆生育期贡献最大的E1基因的成功破译,学者们逐步认识到大豆光周期调控开花的独特性。遗传学及分子生物学研究表明,大豆中具有拮抗关系的E1和FT基因位于大豆光周期调控开花主要通路的中心节点(integrator),但两者间的作用机制及相关的调节因子尚待明晰。对大豆光周期反应及生育期基因的深入研究,在生产实践上可为大豆品种的栽培区划、合理布局及分子育种等提供理论依据。

Plant photoperiodism was discovered in 1920 when scientists studied the light response of soybean and tobacco. As a model plant, soybean made a crucial contribution towards establishment of the general concept of photoperiodism. Apart from its palaeopolyploid nature and relative bigger genome size, the unknown molecular identities of major QTL genes controlling flowering time hamper our understanding of the soybean photoperiodism. Since the successful cloning of major QTL genes controlling flowering time, especially the major QTL El, the unique mechanism in soybean photoperiodic flowering has been generally revealed. Although the details of molecular mechanism of soybean photoperiodism remain unclear, genetic and molecular studies have proven that the E1 and GraFT genes stand as major regulators （integrators） in the regulatory pathway of photoperiodic flowering. The advance on the mechanism of photoperiodic flowering in soybean will provide solid molecular basis for cultivar classification of maturity, proper crop arrangement and molecular breeding of new cultivars.