DOI: 10.5061/dryad.sbcc2frh0
title: Florigen and antiflorigen gene expression correlates with reproductive state in a marine angiosperm, Zostera marina

description: Florigen and antiflorigen genes within the
 phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein (PEBP) family regulate flowering
 in angiosperms. In eelgrass (Zostera marina), a marine foundation species
 threatened by climate change, flowering and seed production are crucial
 for population resilience. Yet, the molecular mechanism underpinning
 flowering remains unknown. Using phylogenetic analysis and
 functional assays in Arabidopsis, we identified thirteen PEBP
 genes in Z. marina (ZmaPEBP) and showed that four genes altered flowering
 phenotypes when overexpressed. We used quantitative RT-PCR on Z. marina
 shoots from perennial and annual populations in Willapa Bay, USA, to
 assess expression of these four genes in different tissues and expression
 changes throughout the growth season. We demonstrated that ZmaFT2
 and ZmaFT4 promote flowering, and ZmaFT9 and ZmaTFL1a repress flowering in
 Arabidopsis. Across four genetically-assessed sites with eelgrass, ZmaFT2
 and ZmaFT4 were expressed in leaves of both vegetative and reproductive
 shoots, but only induced in rhizomes of reproductive shoots. 
 ZmaFT9 was distinctively expressed in leaves of vegetative and juvenile
 shoots, while ZmaTFL1a levels increased after flowering shoots had
 developed. Our results suggest that ZmaFT2 and ZmaFT4
 may promote flowering, while ZmaFT9 may inhibit a floral transition in
 eelgrass. We speculate that ZmaTFL1a may be involved in flowering shoot
 architecture.
description: # Florigen and antiflorigen gene expression correlates with reproductive
 state in a marine angiosperm, Zostera marina Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.sbcc2frh0](10.5061/dryad.sbcc2frh0) ## Description of the
 data and file structure This dataset contains the data and code required
 for analyses in Nolan et al. This dataset includes phylogenetic analyses
 data for angiosperm PEBP genes, restriction-site associated DNA sequencing
 (RAD) data, and quantitative RT-PCR data for gene expression analyses of
 eelgrass samples, collected from Willapa Bay, WA USA. ### Files and
 variables #### File: FT_population_map.csv ##### Variables * Sample:
 Sample ID number * Population: Population source of sample: Bay Center
 (BC), Long Island (LI), Stackpole (ST) Nahcotta Port * Area: Life history
 type (Annual or Perennial) #### File: populations.snps.vcf
 **Description:** Raw genotypes for samples used in RADseq after STACKS
 analysis #### File: FULLTREE7.0_full.nex **Description:** Full alignment
 of sequences used in phylogenetic tree analysis (Figure 1). Includes PEBP
 genes from several angiosperm lineages. #### File:
 WB-AnnTimeCourse2023_Data.xlsx **Description:** qPCR data from annual
 eelgrass shoots collected from Willapa Bay Washington. Data summary on
 "Readme" sheet within file. ##### Variables * Site: Stackpole
 (ST) and Nahcotta Port (NP) * Tissue (Leaf or Roots/Rhizomes) * Date *
 deltaCt (calculated from Cq values) #### File: WA_Perrenial2022_Data.xlsx
 **Description:**  qPCR data from perennial eelgrass shoots collected from
 Willapa Bay Washington. Data summary on "Readme" sheet within
 file. ##### Variables * Tissue * Site * deltaCt (calculated, labeled as
 "Cq") ### Code #### File: 1.FT-Filtering.Rmd **Description:**  R
 code for SNP filtering and clone filtering of RADseq samples #### File:
 1.FT-Filtering.Rmd **Description:**  R code for population genetics
 analyses and visualizations for RADseq analyses ## Access information
 Other publicly accessible locations of the data: * RAD seq data from
 annual sites and Stackpole site are
 from [https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17730](https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17730)