The onset of flowering is an important step during the lifetime of a flowering plant. During the past two decades, there has been enormous progress in our understanding of how internal and external (environmental) cues control the transition to reproductive growth in plants. Many flowering time regulators have been identified from the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Most of them are assembled in regulatory pathways, which converge to central integrators which trigger the transition of the vegetative into an inflorescence meristem. For crop cultivation, the time of flowering is of upmost importance, because it determines yield. Phenotypic variation for this trait is largely controlled by genes, which were often modified during domestication or crop improvement. Understanding the genetic basis of flowering time regulation offers new opportunities for selection in plant breeding and for genome editing and genetic modification of crop species.

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Photoperiodism is the response to the length of the day that enables living organisms to adapt to seasonal changes in their environment as well as latitudinal variation. As such, it is one of the most significant andcomplex aspects of the interaction between plants and their environment and is a major factor controlling their growth and development. As the new and powerful technologies of molecular genetics are brought to bear on photoperiodism, it becomes particularly important to place new work in the context of the considerable amount of physiological information which already exists on the subject. This innovative book will be of interest to a wide range of plant scientists, from those interested in fundamental plant physiology and molecular biology to agronomists and crop physiologists. - Provides a self-sufficient account of all the important subjects and key literature references for photoperiodism - Includes research of the last twenty years since the publication of the First Edition - Includes details of molecular genetic techniques brought to bear on photoperiodism

During the last few years, tremendous progress has been made in understanding various aspects of pre-mRNA processing. This book, with contributions from leading scientists in this area, summarizes recent advances in nuclear pre-mRNA processing in plants. It provides researchers in the field, as well as those in related areas, with an up-to-date and comprehensive, yet concise, overview of the current status and future potential of this research in understanding plant biology.

Light and the flowering process; Light and the flowering process - setting the scene; Action of phytochrome in light-grown plants; The photoperiodic induction of flowering in short-day plants; Photoperiodic induction in long-day plants; Light and autonomous induction; Light and vernalization; Photoperception and transduction of daylength signals; Light and photoperiodic timing; Photoreceptor action in induction; Biochemistry in induction - the immediate action of light; Photoperiodic induction, the floral stimulus and flower-promoting substances; Photoperiodic induction - flower inhibiting substances; Light-dependent changes at the apex - evocation; Assimilates and evocation; The response of the shoot apex to light-generated signals from the leaves; Genetic studies; Genetics and its potential for understanding the action of light in flowering; Flower development and light; Light and flower development; Photoperiod and the abscission of flower buds in Phaseolus vulgaris; Photocontrol of flower opening in Pharbitis nil; The interaction of photosynthesis and photoperiodism in induction; The factors controlling floral evocation: an overview.

Plant Circadian Networks: Methods and Protocols provides a collection of protocols to investigate clock-controlled parameters including transcript and small RNA levels, promoter activity using luciferase reporters, protein levels and posttranslational modification, protein-protein interaction, in vivo DNA-protein interaction and RNA-protein interaction, cellular redox state, Ca2+ levels, and innate immune responses. Furthermore, the use of bioinformatics resources is described to evaluate high throughput data sets and to integrate the data into an overarching picture of circadian networks in the cell. Additional chapters focus on seasonal processes like flowering time control, and techniques on trees, moss and algae. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Plant Circadian Networks: Methods and Protocols is designed not only for the chronobiology community dealing with circadian biology but also for the plant community in general.