Transcriptome of cold treated Camelina species

Temporal transcriptome analysis was carried out for for two winter-type Camelina lines and one spring-type line in response to vernalisation. Flowering-time gene expression was studied and compared in the three lines and FLC was identified as a candidate gene controlling vernalisation requirement. Winter-type Camelina alyssum demonstrated reduction in expression of FLC on chromosomes 13 and 20 during cold treatment, which would trigger flowering, since FLC would be expected to suppress floral initiation. FLC on chromosome 8 also showed reduced expression in the C. sativa ssp. pilosa winter parent upon cold treatment, but was expressed at very high levels across all time points in the spring-type C. sativa, suggesting it was non-functional or had an alternative function in the spring-type line.