Biotech Updates

Overexpression of OsFTL10 Induces Early Flowering Improves Drought Tolerance in Rice

February 20, 2019

Scientists from China characterized the gene OsFTL10 in rice and they found that its overexpression can lead to earlier flowering of the rice plant by up to two weeks than normal. In their paper published by the Journal of Life and Environmental Sciences, the scientists investigated the role of the OsFTL10 gene and its function on flowering and abiotic stress.

OsFTL genes are Flowering Locus T-Like genes in rice. These determine the plant's flowering time control, which in turn is important in plant reproduction. In the case of OsFTL10, the scientists noted that the overexpression of the gene not only induced early flowering, but it also improved the drought tolerance of transgenic plants by activating the rice's drought response mechanism when it is continuously expressed in all plant parts. Further studies of the OsFTL10 target genes were recommended by the scientists to identify the direct link between the flowering and drought stress in rice.

Read the full open-access paper in PeerJ.