When scientists say it with flowers European research is opening the door to the secrets of how plants bear flowers that form to perfection. The research results promise increasing crop yields for Europe's farmers. Health © Shutterstock Flowers are not just for the romantic moment, they play a crucial role in crop development. From carrots to apples, flowering must occur at the correct time and follow a perfect pattern of development otherwise there will be no fruit. The EU-funded project Geanarafdev aimed to unravel the complex, interwoven web of genes that control flowering. The team of plant geneticists studied Arabidopsis, more commonly known as mouse-ear cress and the flowering mustard seed. Using the recently developed technique, ChIP-Seq, the project scientists analysed protein interactions with DNA. In particular, they studied the role of so-called open reading frames (ORFs), sequences of DNA with a stop and a start code for making a protein in the same run of genetic material. A gene called Apetala1 (AP1) is known to control the onset of flower development in wild mustard seed. Moreover, it causes a petal to be a petal or a sepal, the protective layer around the bud before the flower opens. AP1 turns out to be a very busy gene. The scientists identified its target genes. These include regulators of protein production. When flower development is first initiated, the AP1 gene plays a key role by cancelling out the action of other genes that act as flowering repressors. Later on during flower development, it acts as an activator for other genes so has a more dynamic role. The implication is that AP1 also fills the job of general coordinator, integrating growth, pattern of flower and hormonal pathways. The fact that AP1 controls gene switches from flower initiation to formation makes this a very important gene. With its modus operandi uncovered, plant geneticists can make sure that a crop will flower and go on to give a healthy yield.
