Scientists Discover Gene Function that Helps Wheat See Light

Scientists from the University of California, Davis have discovered a gene function that allows wheat to discern the length of each day and night. They found that when the gene is knocked out, wheat flowering was delayed for more than 100 days.

The researchers found that the gene Phytochrome C changes form when it detects the red hues of daylight and activates a separate gene, known as Photoperiod 1. This gene is also regulated by the circadian clock that oscillates with every 24-hour period.  While breeders can already modify flowering time in wheat, this discovery provides a new way of doing that. The researchers are now looking for variations in Phytochrome C that can be used to alter the flowering time in wheat.

For more details about this research, read the news article at http://news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=10965.