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| Identification and Expression Analysis of the FT Gene Family in Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) |
| ZHU Cheng-Guang1, SUN Ming-Ming1, YANG Ming-Feng1, LIU Zhong-Wei1, WANG Lei-Yang1, MA Jia-Jie2, LIU Guo-Xiang2, ZHANG Xing-Wei2, JI Yan2,* |
1 Technology Center of Shandong China Tobacco Industry Co., Ltd., Jinan 250014, China;
2 Tobacco Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China |
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Abstract The FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) gene family plays a critical role in regulating floral bud differentiation and is highly conserved across diverse plant species. This study conducted a genome-wide identification and systematic analysis of the FT gene family in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) using bioinformatics approaches, including gene structure characterization, conserved motif prediction, chromosomal localization, cis-regulatory element annotation, and expression pattern. A total of 11 FT family members (NtFT) were identified in tobacco, distributed across 3 chromosomes with preferential localization in low gene-density regions. All members harbored the conserved motif 1 and motif 4, and 73% of the members (8/11) exhibited a conserved structure consisting of 4 exons and 3 introns. Promoter cis-element analysis demonstrated that hormone-responsive elements (25.9%) and light-responsive elements (44.7%) were the most abundant. Tissue-specific expression profiling indicated that most NtFT genes were highly expressed in leaves, with only NtFT-09 showing specific expression in buds and flowers. qRT-PCR analysis of gene expression levels at different developmental stages revealed that NtFT-01, NtFT-02, NtFT-05, and NtFT-06 were significantly upregulated during the central flower opening stage (P<0.05), and their expression patterns were closely correlated with the enrichment of photoperiod- and hormone-responsive elements in the promoter regions. In contrast, NtFT-09 exhibited stage-specific expression patterns, suggesting its potential role in early floral bud differentiation. This study identifies NtFT-01, NtFT-02, NtFT-05, and NtFT-06 as core candidates driving reproductive growth and NtFT-09 as a potential regulator of floral initiation. These findings provide key genetic resources for further elucidation of the molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying flowering time in tobacco and provides a reference for future targeted editing of NtFT gene expression to develop early-flowering-resistant tobacco germplasm.
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Received: 03 November 2025
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Corresponding Authors:
*jiyan@caas.cn
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