Abstract：Different Agrobacterium-mediated protocols were used to evaluate the transformation efficiency of gloxinia(Sinningia speciosa), and CFL(Cucumber-FLO-LFY) gene was introduced into gloxinia to investigate its potential to promote early flowering. The plant expression vector pCA-CFL was constructed by inserting CFL gene into the plant high-efficient expression vector pCAMBIA13011. To restrain the growth of untransformed cells, we confirm the hygromycin(Hyg) filtration pressure(20mg/L) through explants culture treated with different Hyg concentrations. CFL gene was transformed into leaves of gloxinia mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens and GUS(β-glucuronidase) test showed that the protocol of ultrasonic 10 s treatment was the most efficient. After two selection cultures, dozens of Hyg-resistant regenerated green shoots were obtained. PCR and Southern dot blot analysis revealed that CFL gene had been integrated into the gloxinia genome. Transgenic seedlings were grown under long-day condition until maturity.The analysis showed that most of transgenic gloxinia plants(71%) flowered 26~32 days earlier than wild-type plants, and had terminal flowers emerging directly from shoot apex with no inflorescence branches. Our results imply that CFL act as a functional homolog of LEAFY(LFY) in gloxinia.
