The mechanisms of optimal nitrogen conditions to accelerate flowering of Chrysanthemum vestitum under short day based on transcriptome analysis

• Published in: Journal of plant physiology Vol. 285; p. 153982
• Main Authors: Zhang, Qiuling, Li, Junzhuo, Deng, Chengyan, Chen, Jiaqi, Han, Wenjia, Yang, Xiuzhen, Wang, Zhongman, Dai, Silan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Elsevier GmbH 01.06.2023
• Subjects: Chrysanthemum; Floral-related genes; Flowering; Flowers; Gene Expression Profiling - methods; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Nitrogen (N); Photoperiod; Photoperiodic pathway; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Transcriptome analysis; Flowering; Transcriptome analysis; Photoperiodic pathway; Nitrogen (N); Floral-related genes
• ISSN: 0176-1617; 1618-1328
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2023.153982

Nitrogen (N) plays an important role in the development of plants, with N application having been shown to accelerate flowering of cultivated plants. However, the mechanism of optimal N conditions to accelerate flowering of short-day plants is still unclear. In this study, it was found that Chrysanthemum vestitum is a typical short-day plant like most chrysanthemum varieties, and its flowering must go through a short-day induction stage. Further observations on the growth of C. vestitum showed that the N range of external application for growth was limited to between 0.25 and 2.50 mM. The results showed that, under optimal N (ON, 1.25 mM) conditions, the plants increased rapidly and flowering time was advanced; under high N (HN, 2.50 mM) or limited N (LN, 0.25 mM) conditions, the growth of plants were inhibited and flowering time was delayed. On the basis of transcriptome data, analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) revealed that the floral-related genes B-box19 (BBX19), Cryptochromes (CRYs), CONSTANS-like (COLs), nitrate transporter protein (NRT), and NIN-like protein (NLP) could respond to N availability. Most of the genes in the photoperiod pathway were upregulated by ON conditions, and their expression was inhibited under HN and LN conditions. Our findings indicated that N could affect flowering by regulating the transcription levels of genes that are involved mainly in the photoperiod pathway. These candidate genes provide important clues for the subsequent analysis of the mechanism of N-induced flowering of short-day plants, and provide a possibility to improve the flowering of chrysanthemum by molecular breeding. •Chrysanthemum vestitum is a typical short-day plant and its floral transition must go through short day induction stage.•Optimal nitrogen conditions accelerating flowering of C. vestitum under short day, but delayed under nitrogen stress conditions.•Nitrogen could affect the flowering of C. vestitum by regulating the transcription levels of genes on the photoperiod pathway.