Constans, the gene that sends plants to bloom
2002/09/19 Elhuyar Zientzia
A group of scientists at the Scripps Research Institute in California find the gene that controls the flowering of plants.
The gene, called Constans, appears in all flowering plants. The concentration of the protein encoding the gene varies throughout the day, with a maximum concentration at dusk.
In the flowering mechanism, in addition to the Constans gene, other components intervene. The most important are light receptors. Light receptors only react to a certain type of light rays. For example, phytochrom A only reacts with red light.
When the concentration of the protein produced by the Constans gene is high, if the receptor signal is received, the mechanism of obtaining will be launched. Constans will signal to another gene and all the chemical reactions needed to bloom will be launched.
The system is valid for any plant, although the flowering time of each species is different. In plants that start to bloom early, the concentration of proteins needed to launch the mechanism is lower and vice versa in plants that bloom late.
Gai honi buruzko eduki gehiago
Elhuyarrek garatutako teknologia
