Isolation and Sequencing of Flowering locus T (FT) homologous gene in Lepidium sativum L.: a Phylogeny study of its deduced protein

The transition to flowering is a major phase change in life cycle of plants. Flowering locus T (FT) gene is the final signaling target gene of the photoperiod pathway that promotes flowering. FT protein is a major component of flowering hormone (florigen). This study was performed to identify FT homologus gene in garden cress (Lepidium sativum L.). Total RNA was isolated from young leaf tissues of L. sativum in reproductive phase and was used for first-strand cDNA synthesis. The specific primers were designed based on nucleotide sequence alignment of FT homologus genes from other plants and were used in RT-PCR. The RT-PCR product were purified and sequenced. The results indicated amplification of 294 nucleotides fragment that was named LsFT and registered in NCBI database with access number KP070729. This part of FT gene codes major part of phosphatidyl ethanolamine-binding Protein (PEBP) domain of FT protein that is conserved in amino acid sequence in many plants. Comparison of this deduced protein with FT homologous proteins from other species showed %61 to %94 identity. According to these results, LsFT can play a similar role as FT in flowering induction and could act as a flowering inducer gene in Lepidium sativum L.