CsCMV-mediated transient delivery of Arabidopsis FT enables virus-induced flowering in cassava
Abstract
Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) exhibits highly variable and often delayed flowering, which limits controlled hybridization and breeding efficiency. Virus-induced flowering (VIF) provides a transient approach for manipulating flowering time, but this strategy has not yet been established in cassava. Here, we investigated whether transient delivery of Arabidopsis thaliana FLOWERING LOCUS T (AtFT) through a Cassava common mosaic virus (CsCMV)-based vector could promote flowering and reproductive development in cassava. A recombinant CsCMV2-AtFT vector was introduced into three cassava cultivars (TMS 60444, HN and SM 1219-9) by agroinoculation. Flowering occurred in 73.3–76.7% of CsCMV2-AtFT-inoculated plants across the three cultivars, whereas none of the CsCMV2-NC control plants flowered under identical growth conditions. The first visible floral buds appeared at 21.8–29.1 days post inoculation, and anthesis occurred at 43.3–62.0 days depending on cultivar. RT-PCR and western blot analysis confirmed systemic AtFT transcript and protein expression in CsCMV2-AtFT-inoculated plants. Virus-induced flowers exhibited normal female and male floral morphology. In HN plants, CsCMV2-AtFT treatment was associated with significantly higher transcript levels of endogenous flowering-associated genes, including MeSOC1-1/2, MeFUL, MeLFY1/2 and MeAP1-1/2/3. Furthermore, induced flowers were reproductively functional, as demonstrated by geitonogamous hand pollination and production of mature fruits containing seeds. These findings demonstrate that CsCMV-mediated transient AtFT delivery promotes flowering and reproductive development in cassava without stable transformation or tissue culture. This study expands the application of CsCMV-based biotechnology toward transient regulation of reproductive traits and provides a potential approach for controlled flowering and pollination in cassava.
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BibTeX
@article{zhou2026cscmvmediated,
title = {{CsCMV-mediated transient delivery of Arabidopsis FT enables virus-induced flowering in cassava}},
author = {Xuan Zhou and Decai Tuo and Pu Yan and Hongyan Nie and Hongguang Cui and Jie Cai and Yuqiang Shi and Jianbo Zhu and Wentao Shen},
journal = {Frontiers in Plant Science},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3389/fpls.2026.1960585},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2026.1960585},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - CsCMV-mediated transient delivery of Arabidopsis FT enables virus-induced flowering in cassava
AU - Xuan Zhou
AU - Decai Tuo
AU - Pu Yan
AU - Hongyan Nie
AU - Hongguang Cui
AU - Jie Cai
AU - Yuqiang Shi
AU - Jianbo Zhu
AU - Wentao Shen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/02
JO - Frontiers in Plant Science
DO - 10.3389/fpls.2026.1960585
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2026.1960585
AB - Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) exhibits highly variable and often delayed flowering, which limits controlled hybridization and breeding efficiency. Virus-induced flowering (VIF) provides a transient approach for manipulating flowering time, but this strategy has not yet been established in cassava. Here, we investigated whether transient delivery of Arabidopsis thaliana FLOWERING LOCUS T (AtFT) through a Cassava common mosaic virus (CsCMV)-based vector could promote flowering and reproductive development in cassava. A recombinant CsCMV2-AtFT vector was introduced into three cassava cultivars (TMS 60444, HN and SM 1219-9) by agroinoculation. Flowering occurred in 73.3–76.7% of CsCMV2-AtFT-inoculated plants across the three cultivars, whereas none of the CsCMV2-NC control plants flowered under identical growth conditions. The first visible floral buds appeared at 21.8–29.1 days post inoculation, and anthesis occurred at 43.3–62.0 days depending on cultivar. RT-PCR and western blot analysis confirmed systemic AtFT transcript and protein expression in CsCMV2-AtFT-inoculated plants. Virus-induced flowers exhibited normal female and male floral morphology. In HN plants, CsCMV2-AtFT treatment was associated with significantly higher transcript levels of endogenous flowering-associated genes, including MeSOC1-1/2, MeFUL, MeLFY1/2 and MeAP1-1/2/3. Furthermore, induced flowers were reproductively functional, as demonstrated by geitonogamous hand pollination and production of mature fruits containing seeds. These findings demonstrate that CsCMV-mediated transient AtFT delivery promotes flowering and reproductive development in cassava without stable transformation or tissue culture. This study expands the application of CsCMV-based biotechnology toward transient regulation of reproductive traits and provides a potential approach for controlled flowering and pollination in cassava.
SN - 1664-462X
ER -