Early flowering in transgenic tobacco plants possessing the rolC gene of Agrobacterium rhizogenes Ri plasmid

Abstract

Progeny plants obtained by self-crossing transgenic tobacco plants possessing the rolC gene (ORF 12 of TL-DNA of Ri plasmid) showed stable inheritance of dwarfness in plant height as well as in floral organs. A histological analysis of dwarf plants indicated that shortening in the internodal length was associated with a smaller length in epidermal cells. Furthermore, transgenic plants expressing dwarf characters showed earlier flowering than normal one. The organ-specific transcription of the rolC gene was independent of the influence of other Ri TL-DNA genes.