An overview of flowering transition in higher plants

In higher plant, flowering transition represents a crucial transition from the vegetative stage to the reproductive stage in life cycle. This process is controlled by both endogenous and environmental factors. In Arabidopsis thaliana, four pathways, photoperiod pathway, vernalization pathway, autonomous pathway, and GA pathway were involved in flowering control. These flowering transition pathways are shown to be highly conserved in Arabidopsis and other higher plants including rice (Oryza sativa L.). This review summarizes recent progresses on flowering time control.