RESUMEN
Information concerning to regulation of vegetative phase and floral initiation in herbaceous perennial plants has been limited to a few plant species. To know and compare flowering regulation in a wider range of plant species, we identified and characterized SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP)-like genes (GtSVP-L1 and GtSVP-L2) from herbaceous perennial gentian (Gentiana triflora). Apple latent spherical virus (ALSV)-mediated silencing of the GtSVP-L1 in G. triflora seedlings resulted in early flowering and shortened vegetative phase by about one-third period of time, without vernalization. This indicated that GtSVP-L1 acts as a negative regulator of flowering and vegetative phase. Seasonal change in the expression of GtSVP was monitored in the overwinter buds (OWBs) of G. triflora. It was found that the levels of GtSVP-L1 mRNA in OWBs increased concomitantly with induction and/or maintenance of dormancy, then decreased toward release from dormancy, while that of GtSVP-L2 mRNA remained low and unchanged. These results implied that, in herbaceous perennial plants, SVP ortholog might concern to activity-dormancy control, as well as negative regulation in flowering. Practically, these results can be applicable to non-time-consuming technologies for breeding.