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Expression of the QrCPE gene is associated with the induction and development of oak somatic embryos

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Abstract

Somatic embryogenesis is a powerful tool for plant regeneration and also provides a suitable material for investigating the molecular events that control the induction and development of somatic embryos. This study focuses on expression analysis of the QrCPE gene (which encodes a glycine-rich protein) during the initiation of oak somatic embryos from leaf explants and also during the histodifferentiation of somatic embryos. Northern blot and in situ hybridization were used to determine the specific localisation of QrCPE mRNA. The results showed that the QrCPE gene is developmentally regulated during the histodifferentiation of somatic embryos and that its expression is tissue- and genotype-dependent. QrCPE was strongly expressed in embryogenic cell aggregates and in embryogenic nodular structures originated in leaf explants as well as in the protodermis of somatic embryos from which new embryos are generated by secondary embryogenesis. This suggests a role for the gene during the induction of somatic embryos and in the maintenance of embryogenic competence. The QrCPE gene was highly expressed in actively dividing cells during embryo development, suggesting that it participates in embryo histodifferentiation. The localised expression in the root cap initial cells of cotyledonary somatic embryos and in the root cap of somatic seedlings also suggests that the gene may be involved in the fate of root cap cells.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by Xunta de Galicia (10MRU400033PR, 09MRU002400PR) and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (AGL-2008-05105-C02-01/FOR). Technical assistance by MT Martínez and R Cobas is gratefully acknowledged.

Data Archiving Statement

The QrCPE cDNA sequence was deposited in the European Molecular Biology Laboratory database, accession number AJ271778.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Physiology, Instituto de Investigaciones Agrobiológicas de Galicia (IIAG-CSIC), Apartado 122, 15780, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

    Silvia Valladares, Saleta Rico, Ana M. Vieitez, Purificación Covelo & Conchi Sánchez

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  1. Silvia Valladares
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  2. Saleta Rico
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  3. Ana M. Vieitez
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  4. Purificación Covelo
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  5. Conchi Sánchez
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Correspondence to Conchi Sánchez.

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Communicated by R. Sederoff

Silvia Valladares and Saleta Rico contributed equally to this work.

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Valladares, S., Rico, S., Vieitez, A.M. et al. Expression of the QrCPE gene is associated with the induction and development of oak somatic embryos. Tree Genetics & Genomes 9, 1383–1393 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-013-0634-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-013-0634-8

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