Molecular Cloning and Expression Analysis of C Function Gene <i>CjPLE</i> in Double Flower Varieties of <i>Camellia japonica</i>

Abstract

The C function gene in the classic ABC model is the important factor that determines the stamen and pistil organs in the floral axis, and is also the regulatory gene of floral meristem termination differentiation. A 901 bp cDNA sequence of C function genewas cloned from flower bud of Camellia japonica, named CjPLE (MF278983), which contained an opening reading frame of 780 bp. The "Genome Walking" experiment showed that it contained two introns. Through phylogenetic analysis, we found that it formed a PLE subclass with TAG1 of Solanum lycopersicum and PLE of Antirrhinum majus. The results of real-time PCR showed that CjPLE gene had high expression in the carpel of wild Camellia japonica. In peony type double-flower varieties 'Hongluzhen' and 'Zhuangyuanhong', the highest expression of CjPLE gene was in stamens, while in 'Rongqiu', the expression of CjPLE gene in inner petals and stamens were both high. The above results indicate that CjPLE is a homologous gene of the PLE branch in which belongs to C function gene in Camellia japonica, and might play a role in regulating the development of floral organs.