Dr. XIA Zhengjun and his team, in cooperation with Japanese colleagues, have successfully cloned the genes responsible for E1, E2 and E3 loci. With a large population and high throughput genotyping, the team successfully delimited the E1locus into a 17.3kb region where a sole functional gene was annotated for dominant genotype cultivar. Various characterizations demonstrated the E1 gene is functionally associated with photoperiodic flowering.

The E1 locus in the soybean is largelyresponsible for delaying flowering time, explainingmost flowering variation among different soybeanvarieties. Together with recently disclosed molecular basis of E2, E3 and E4 genes, the molecular identification of the E1 genewill present a significant step forward in revealing thegenetic basis regulating photoperiodic flowering insoybean, and should thus be of great importance to the flowering time gene network in plant development and enhancement of productivity and adaptability in this crop.