Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of the <i>CCT</i> Gene Family Contributing to Photoperiodic Flowering in Chinese Cabbage (<i>Brassica rapa</i> L. ssp. <i>pekinensis</i>)

Photoperiod sensitivity significantly affects the reproductive process of plants. The <i>CONSTANS</i>, <i>CONSTANS-LIKE, and TOC1</i> (<i>CCT</i>) genes play pivotal roles in photoperiod sensitivity and regulating flowering time. However, the function of the <i...

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Main Authors: Wei Fu, Xinyu Jia, Shanyu Li, Yang Zhou, Xinjie Zhang, Lisi Jiang, Lin Hao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Horticulturae
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/7/848
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Summary:Photoperiod sensitivity significantly affects the reproductive process of plants. The <i>CONSTANS</i>, <i>CONSTANS-LIKE, and TOC1</i> (<i>CCT</i>) genes play pivotal roles in photoperiod sensitivity and regulating flowering time. However, the function of the <i>CCT</i> gene in regulating flowering varies among different species. Further research is needed to determine whether it promotes or delays flowering under long-day (LD) or short-day (SD) conditions. <i>CCT MOTIF FAMILY</i> (<i>CMF</i>) belongs to one of the three subfamilies of the <i>CCT</i> gene and has been proven to be involved in the regulation of circadian rhythms and flowering time in cereal crops. In this study, 60 <i>CCT</i> genes in Chinese cabbage were genome-wide identified, and chromosomal localization, gene duplication events, gene structure, conserved domains, co-expression networks, and phylogenetic tree were analyzed by bioinformatics methods. The specific expression patterns of the <i>BrCMF</i> gene in different tissues, as well as the transcriptome and RT-qPCR results under different photoperiodic conditions, were further analyzed. The results showed that <i>BrCMF11</i> was significantly upregulated in <i>ebm5</i> under LD conditions, suggesting that <i>BrCMF11</i> promoted flowering under LD conditions in Chinese cabbage. These findings revealed the function of the <i>BrCCT</i> gene family in photoperiod flowering regulation and provided a prominent theoretical foundation for molecular breeding in Chinese cabbage.
ISSN:2311-7524