ABSTRACT
TFL1 homologs play important roles in maintaining vegetative growth and inflorescence meristem identity. The plants without the function of this gene usually are flowering earlier. Their normal inflorescence development is inhibited, the inflorescence meristem eventually acquired floral identity, which producing a terminal flower. Up to now, the TFL1 homologs have been isolated from 28 species of plants, including Arabidopsis, Snapdrogen and Tomato. The phylogenic tree of TFL1 proteins is almost accordance with the relative of those plants. The inflorescence identity gene TFL1 interacted with floral meristem identity genes LFY and AP1, so as to retard the transformation from inflorescence identity into floral identity. These meristem identity genes such as TFL1 and LFY can be applied in breeding of earl-flowering cultivars, there also have plenty of potentials in breeding fruit-free plantanus, popular or willows.