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Characterization of leafy cotyledon1-like during embryogenesis in Theobroma cacao L.

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Abstract

Theobroma cacao L., an economically important crop for developing countries, can be experimentally propagated by somatic embryogenesis. Because of their potential roles in embryogenesis, a gene candidate strategy was initiated to find gene homologues of the members of the leafy cotyledon family of transcription factors. A homologue of the leafy cotyledon1-like gene, that encodes the HAP 3 subunit of the CCAAT box-binding factor, was found in the cocoa genome (TcL1L). The translated peptide shared a high amino acid sequence identity with the homologous genes of Arabidopsis thaliana, Phaseolus coccineus and Helianthus annuus. TcL1L transcripts mainly accumulated in young and immature zygotic embryos, and, to a lesser extent, in young and immature somatic embryos. In situ hybridization specified the localization of the transcripts as being mainly in embryonic cells of young embryos, the meristematic cells of the shoot and root apex of immature embryos, and in the protoderm and epidermis of young and immature embryos, either zygotic or somatic. Non-embryogenic explants did not show TcL1L expression. Ectopic expression of the TcL1L gene could partially rescue the Arabidopsis lec1 mutant phenotype, suggesting a similarity of function in zygotic embryogenesis.

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Abbreviations

SERK :

Somatic embryogenesis receptor kinase

BBM :

Baby boom

LEC :

Leafy cotyledon

ABI3 :

Abscisic acid insensitive3

SSEE:

Secondary somatic embryogenic explants

VYSE:

Very young somatic embryos

YSE:

Young somatic embryos

NEE:

Non-embryogenic explants

RT:

Reverse transcriptase

PCR:

Polymerase chain reaction

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Peter Biggins for checking the English and Fabienne Lapeyre-Montes for technical help. Plant Gateway vectors were provided by the Functional Genomics Division of the Department of Plant Systems Biology (VIB-Ghent University).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, CIRAD, UMR DAP, TA A-96/03, Avenue Agropolis, 34398, Montpellier Cedex 5, France

    Laurence Alemanno, Christine Sanier, Mariannick Rio, Jean-Luc Verdeil & Pascal Montoro

  2. Laboratoire Génome et Développement des Plantes, University of Perpignan, UMR 5096, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan Cedex, France

    Martine Devic & Jocelyne Guilleminot

  3. Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Department of Biological Science, Higher Teachers’ Training College, University of Yaoundé I, P.O. Box 47, Yaoundé, Cameroon

    Nicolas Niemenak

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  1. Laurence Alemanno
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  2. Martine Devic
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  3. Nicolas Niemenak
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  4. Christine Sanier
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  5. Jocelyne Guilleminot
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  6. Mariannick Rio
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  7. Jean-Luc Verdeil
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  8. Pascal Montoro
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Correspondence to Pascal Montoro.

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Alemanno, L., Devic, M., Niemenak, N. et al. Characterization of leafy cotyledon1-like during embryogenesis in Theobroma cacao L.. Planta 227, 853–866 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-007-0662-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-007-0662-4

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