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A conserved molecular basis for photoperiod adaptation in two temperate legumes
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-17, 15:07 authored by James WellerJames Weller, Liew, LC, Valerie HechtValerie Hecht, Rajandran, V, Laurie, RE, Stephen Ridge, Wenden, B, Jacqueline Vander SchoorJacqueline Vander Schoor, Jaminon, O, Blassiau, C, Dalmais, M, Rameau, C, Bendahmane, A, Macknight, RC, Lejeune-Henaut, ILegumes were among the first plant species to be domesticated, and accompanied cereals in expansion of agriculture from the Fertile Crescent into diverse environments across the Mediterranean basin, Europe, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. Although several recent studies have outlined the molecular basis for domestication and eco-geographic adaptation in the two main cereals from this region, wheat and barley, similar questions remain largely unexplored in their legume counterparts. Here we identify two major loci controlling differences in photoperiod response between wild and domesticated pea, and show that one of these, HIGH RESPONSE TO PHOTOPERIOD (HR), is an ortholog of EARLY FLOWERING 3 (ELF3), a gene involved in circadian clock function. We found that a significant proportion of flowering time variation in global pea germplasm is controlled by HR, with a single, widespread functional variant conferring altered circadian rhythms and the reduced photoperiod response associated with the spring habit. We also present evidence that ELF3 has a similar role in lentil, another major legume crop, with a distinct functional variant contributing to reduced photoperiod response in cultivars widely deployed in short-season environments. Our results identify the factor likely to have permitted the successful prehistoric expansion of legume cultivation to Northern Europe, and define a conserved genetic basis for major adaptive changes in flowering phenology and growth habit in an important crop group.
Funding
Australian Research Council
History
Publication title
National Academy of Sciences of The United States of America. ProceedingsVolume
109Issue
51Pagination
21158-21163ISSN
0027-8424Department/School
School of Natural SciencesPublisher
National Academy of SciencesPlace of publication
500 Fifth St, NW, Washington, DC 20001, USRights statement
Copyright 2012PNASRepository Status
- Restricted