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Simultaneous induction of postabscission and germination mRNAs in cultured dicotyledonous embryos

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Abstract

Cloned mRNAs identify three programs of gene expression in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) embryos that are associated with the maturation (reserve accumulation) stage, the postabscission stage, which is marked by expression of Late-embryogenesis-abundant (Lea) mRNAs, and germination (broadly defined as including all events through early postgerminative growth). In order to test if the regulation of these programs is the same in other dicotyledonous species, their expression was studied in normal and cultured maturation-stage, postabscission-stage, and mature embryo-stage embryos or seed of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.), soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.), and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) using cotton and other cDNA probes. During postabscission, Lea mRNAs accumulated in all test species and were induced in earlier maturation-stage embryos by excision and culture on basal medium. Abscisic acid often enhanced this induction in the test species. Germinationspecific mRNAs were induced in cultured maturationstage and postabscission-stage embryos of all test species. These results indicate that the regulation of embryonic and germination programs is similar in all dicotyledons tested. Because excised embryos simultaneously induced postabscission and germination programs, the effects of exogenous growth regulators and other factors on such embryos probably reflect stress responses of germinating mature embryos rather than the identity of endogenous regulators of embryogenesis.

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Abbreviations

ABA:

abscisic acid

GA3 :

gibberellic acid

DPA:

days postanthesis

Lea :

late embryogenesis abundant

MAT:

maturation stage

PA:

postabscission stage

ME:

mature embryo stage

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Author notes

  1. Kjetill S. Jakobsen

    Present address: Division of Genetics, Department of Biology, University of Oslo, Blindern, N0315, P.O. Box 1031, 3, Oslo, Norway

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, University of Georgia, 30602-7271, Athens, GA, USA

    Kjetill S. Jakobsen, D. Wayne Hughes & Glenn A. Galau

Authors
  1. Kjetill S. Jakobsen
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  2. D. Wayne Hughes
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  3. Glenn A. Galau
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Correspondence to Glenn A. Galau.

Additional information

We thank J.J. Harada (Department of Botany, University of California, Davis, USA) and S.L. Berry-Lowe (Department of Biology, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, USA) for plasmids. John E. Stacy is acknowledged for help with the Figures. This work was supported by grant GM29495 from the National Institute of Health to G.A.G and by individual research/travel grants from the Norwegian Agricultural Research Council (NLVF) to each of the authors.

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Jakobsen, K.S., Wayne Hughes, D. & Galau, G.A. Simultaneous induction of postabscission and germination mRNAs in cultured dicotyledonous embryos. Planta 192, 384–394 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00198575

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