Identification of genes expressed during early somatic embryogenesis in Pinus radiata
Abstract
Analysis of cDNA-AFLPs was used to study gene expression underlying the early embryogenic process in the gymnosperm Pinus radiata. Somatic embryogenesis in this species was used as a model as it resulted in the generation of a large number of embryos at defined stages of development. The gene expression patterns of three embryogenic stages were compared with non-embryogenic cells. Fifty transcript-derived fragments (TDFs) that are upregulated and 32 TDFs that are down-regulated in the embryogenic stages were selected, sequenced and their homologies sought in the databases. Expression of a selected subset of differentially expressed genes was confirmed by RT-PCR and their levels of expression were quantified. Of the 50 up-regulated TDFs, 16 are homologous to genes encoding either known or putative proteins in higher plants, 19 are homologous to conifer ESTs and 15 did not show significant matches. Of the down-regulated TDFs, 8 are homologous to genes encoding either known or putative proteins, 20 are homologous to conifer ESTs and 4 of them did not show significant matches in DNA or protein sequence database. The known up-regulated genes were similar to genes involved in cellular metabolism and in the stress response and the kno...Continue Reading
References
Citations
Related Concepts
Related Feeds
Apoptosis
Apoptosis is a specific process that leads to programmed cell death through the activation of an evolutionary conserved intracellular pathway leading to pathognomic cellular changes distinct from cellular necrosis