BSCI 442, Fall- Dec. 2, 2003
Guest lecture by Prof. Todd Cooke
(Dept Cell Biol & Mol Genetics, U Md)

I. Structural events - the transition from vegetative growth to flowering

A. Vegetative shoot apical meristem – cellular dynamics and primordium initiation
B. Floral shoot apical meristem – cellular dynamics and primordium initiation

II. Photoreception

A. Photoperiodic regulation – daylength and night break experiments
B. Photoreceptor – phytochrome action

III. Hormonal action

A. Evidence for floral signal aka florigen
B. Secondary involvement of known hormones

IV. Genetic regulation

A. Floral mutants in Arabidopsis
B. ABC model
C. Molecular action – MADS box genes and in situ hybridization