NUCLEIC ACID SEQUENCES THAT INDUCE EARLY FLOWERING

摘要

The present invention relates to a : for producing a genetically modified plant that has early flower meristem development as compared to a corresponding unmodified or wild type plant. The method comprises transforming a plant with a nucleic acid construct that comprises a nucleic acid sequence encoding a DOT ortholog (DOT is the Petunia ortholog of UFO) operably linked to a promoter, such that the DOT ortholog is ectopically expressed. The method is preferably applied to plants with early expression of an ALF ortholog (ALF is the Petunia ortholog of LFY) in the vegetative apical meristem. Such preferred plants are e.g. plants that belong to the Solanaceae. The invention further relates to genetically modified plants having early flower meristem development as a result of ectopic expression of a DOT ortholog, to products obtained from such plants, as well as to nucleic acids encoding a DOT ortholog.