Litchi flowering gene expression under temperature effect

The key factors of inducing Litchi chinensis flowering are efficient and continuous chilling temperature. This study is to clear the relationship between chilling effects and flowering gene expression during inflorescence formation in ‘Yu-Her-Pau’ litchi. The potted litchi was placed under day/night temperature 20/15°C and 25/20°C in phytotron. The leaves were sampled by 3-day interval for LcFT, LcFLC, LcAP1, LcAP2, and LcSOC1 gene analysis. The results show ‘Yu-Her-Pau’ litchi emerged visible inflorescence buds that under 20/15°C after 24 days, but no floral transition occurred in 25/20°C. Among the analyzing floral genes, the expression of LcFT upregulated by the chilling temperature accumulating, and has a positive relation to the chilling duration. The results represent LcFT essentially involved in the litchi inflorescence initiation and the gene expression can reflect the floral transition of the bud in litchi.