Abstract:The MADSbox gene SVP (SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE) integrates multiple flowering signals to regulate the transition from vegetative to reproductive development in plants. To better understand the molecular regulation of flower development in Prunus mume, we isolated two putative orthologs of SVP,PmSVP1 and PmSVP2. The expression patterns of PmSVP1 and PmSVP2 were determined by realtime RTPCR. PmSVP1 contains a 687 bp open reading frame (ORF) that encodes a peptide of 228 amino acid residues. PmSVP2 contains a 672 bp ORF that encodes a peptide of 223 amino acid residues. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that PmSVP1 was closely related to Arabidopsis SVP, along with SVPlike members from some woody perennials, while PmSVP2 was closely related to EeDAM2 and StMADS11, which are SVPlike members from perennial herbs. To characterize the function of PmSVP1 and PmSVP2, we examined the spatial expression of PmSVP1 and PmSVP2 in different organs using qRTPCR. Transcripts of PmSVP1 and PmSVP2 accumulated in vegetative organs, such as buds, stems and leaves. However, the expression level of PmSVP2 was expressed only in adults and had low expression levels in vegetative organs, thus differing from PmSVP1. Throughout the bud differentiation process, both PmSVP1 and PmSVP2 expression levels presented a downward trend. Once flower bud differentiation commenced, expression levels started to decrease, suggesting that these two genes may play an important role in the transition from the vegetative growth to the reproductive growth phase in P. mume.