At least 100 genes are involved in the flowering of a plant. The activity of those genes should enable prediction of flowering initiation of a plant; this is the idea behind systems-biological research into flowering regulation carried out by Plant Research International.
A plant is preparing its flowering in the top of the vegetative shoots, the shoot meristem, of a plant. Here, a complex of genes is jointly determining whether and when a plant starts flowering. This is called the system of flowering regulation. Some genes are stimulating flowering whereas others are delaying the process.
Our scientists are attempting to explain the system of flowering regulation. Much is already known about which key genes are involved in flowering. It is still unknown what the various genes are precisely doing and how important each gene is. The scientists are therefore first determining whether genes are active or not as well as the extent to which they are active. They are also investigating the interaction between genes.
In their research the scientists are using mutants in which certain genes are less active or switched off. This enables determination of the effect of the remaining genes on time and duration of flowering. The scientists use this information to see which genes are inhibiting flowering and – conversely – which genes are stimulants. The final objective is to predict how soon a plant will start flowering on the basis of the balance between inhibiting and stimulating flowering genes.