IN SILICO IDENTIFICATION OF THE GENES THAT CONTROL FLOWERING TIME IN WALNUT (Juglans regia)

Walnut (Juglans regia) is an important source of fatty acids consisting of saturate and unsaturated fats. Recently, genome sequencing of walnut has been completed with size of 606 Mbp and chromosome numbers (2n) 32. Very little information has been known about flowering genes of walnut because of its perennial growth habit. With the whole genome sequencing, studies of flowering genes will led to accelerate the finding of key genes responsible for late or early flowering habit in walnut. We have found putative key genes related to control of flowering time. These genes would act as functional marker to identify early and late flowering cultivars of walnut. Ten gene families has been found in walnut genome which controlling flowering timing in the flowering pathway. The gene families are (1) Agamous–like MADS–box protein AGL3 (2) Floral homeotic protein APETALA 3, (3) Flowering time control protein I (4) Photoperiod independent protein (5) Early flowering protein (6) Flowering time control protein II (7) Protein TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (8) Vernalization (9) Polycomb group protein. These genes would be important source of selection of cultivars for breeding new cultivars of walnut

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