Cloning and expression of embryogenesis-regulating genes in Araucaria angustifolia (Bert.) O. Kuntze (Brazilian Pine)

Abstract

Angiosperm and gymnosperm plants evolved from a common ancestor about 300 million years ago. Apart from morphological and structural differences in embryogenesis and seed origin, a set of embryogenesis-regulating genes and the molecular mechanisms involved in embryo development seem to have been conserved alike in both taxa. Few studies have covered molecular aspects of embryogenesis in the Brazilian pine, the only economically important native conifer in Brazil. Thus eight embryogenesis-regulating genes, viz., ARGONAUTE 1, CUP-SHAPED COTYLEDON 1, WUSCHEL-related WOX, S-LOCUS LECTIN PROTEIN KINASE, SCARECROW-like, VICILIN 7S, LEAFY COTYLEDON 1, and REVERSIBLE GLYCOSYLATED POLYPEPTIDE 1, were analyzed through semi-quantitative RT-PCR during embryo development and germination. All the eight were found to be differentially expressed in the various developmental stages of zygotic embryos, seeds and seedling tissues. To our knowledge, this is the first report on embryogenesis-regulating gene expression in members of the Araucariaceae family, as well as in plants with recalcitrant seeds.

Gene expression during early somatic embryogenesis in Brazilian pine (Araucaria angustifolia (Bert) O. Ktze)

“…Primers (Table 1) were designed from nucleotide sequences of Brazilian pine cloned cDNA fragments as previously described (Schlögl et al 2011). The template cDNA were synthesized and the dilutions adjusted using Ubquitin 1 as an endogenous normalization factor.…”

Białka ARGONAUT w biologii komórki i rozwoju roślin

“…U świerku (Picea glauca) oraz araukarii (Araucaria angustifolia) odpowiednio gen PgAGO i domniemany AaAGO1 wykazywały podwyższoną ekspresję m.in. na wczesnych etapach rozwoju zygotycznego [20]. Jako, że ekspresja PgAGO ogranicza się do komórek merystematycznych zarówno korzeni, jak i pędu, zasugerowano, że białko kodowane przez ten gen jest wymagane do prawidłowego rozwoju zarodka gdyż reguluje specyfikację tożsamości macierzystej tych komórek.…”

Molecular aspects of zygotic embryogenesis in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.): correlation of positive histone marks with HaWUS expression and putative link HaWUS/HaL1L

“…In Vitis vinifera, Gambino et al (2011) demonstrated that the level of VvWUS expression was higher in embryos at the cotyledonary stage with respect to the torpedo stage. Furthermore, time-dependent control of WOX genes expression has been observed in Zea mays (Nardmann et al 2007), Araucaria angustifolia (Schlög et al 2012), and Picea abies (Palovaara et al 2010;Zhu et al 2014) during zygotic and somatic embryogenesis.…”