Characterization of Flowering Time Mutants

Timing of flowering, which is adapted to the ambient environment, is one of the key traits to ensure the reproductive success of plants. Our current understanding of the complex genetic control network of this trait is mostly derived from the studies in the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana. Arabidopsis thaliana is an annual facultative long-day plant, whose flowering time is controlled by numerous environmental and endogenous factors. Here we briefly summarize the genetic pathways that promote flowering of Arabidopsis and describe standard protocols to characterize the flowering time phenotype of Arabidopsis mutants under laboratory conditions.