Identification of flowering time genes associated with vernalization in Chinese cabbage and their differential expression in radish

We conducted genome-wide transcriptome analysis using the inbred Chinese cabbage line, ‘4004’, which displayed early flowering in response to vernalization. A total of 1,677 differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) were identified with and without vernalization. Transcriptome analysis identified 223 homologs of Arabidopsis Ft genes in Chinese cabbage, and 50 of these genes responded to vernalization. RT-qPCR analysis of major Ft genes showed that the majority of flowering enhancers were up-regulated in response to vernalization, whereas most flowering repressors were down-regulated in response to vernalization. Among the major Ft genes, the expression of BrCOL1-2, BrFT1/2, BrSOC1/2/3, BrFLC1/2/3/5, and BrMAF was strongly affected by vernalization. Examination of vernalization in 4004 inbred lines. Shoots mRNA profiles of 0 and 35day old Chinese cabbage were generated by deep sequencing, in replicate, using Illumina hiseq2000.