Isolation and Characterization of Senescence-Associated Ethylene Genes from Dendrobium Orchids

  • Zuliana Razali
  • S. Chandran
  • Lee Ai Ling
  • A. N. Boyce
  • Helen Nair
Conference paper

Pollination hastens senescence in most flowers via the regulation of the ethylene pathway. This phenomenon impacts on the lucrative orchid cut flower industry when attractive hybrids that are ethylenesensitive undergo rapid post-pollination induced senescence. Manipulation of ethylene-associated genes could overcome the problem in transgenic orchids if ethylene biosynthesis is suppressed or if the signal transduction pathway is confounded. While ACCO oxidase and ACC synthase have been acknowledged as key enzymes in the ethylene biosynthesis pathway, knowledge about ethylene receptors in orchids is still quite limited and often confusing. In our studies with Dendrobium Pompadour orchids, we have isolated the genes for ACC oxidase and ACC synthase as well as those for two ethylene receptors first characterized in Arabidopsis, namely ETR1and ERS1. Physiological studies have shown that within 24 h, pollinated Dendrobium flowers display an increase in ethylene production after pollination, alongside distinct visual changes. The presence of ACC oxidase, ACC synthase, ETR1 and ERS1 genes in pollinated and unpollinated flowers was detected using RT-PCR. Detailed analysis, with Scan Prosite, showed that the nucleotide sequence for the RT-PCR product of ACC oxidase (925 bp) displays more than 60 homology with known ACC oxidases from other orchids, viz. a Phalaenopsis cv SM9108, Doritaenopsis sp. and Dendrobium crumenatum as well as carnation and rose. The ETR1 RT-PCR product (744 bp) shares more than 60 nucleotide sequence homology with the orchid, Phalaenopsis as well as tobacco, rice, petunia and carnation. Sequence results for ACCS1 and ERS1 as analysed and characterized using bioinformatics tools are also presented.

Keywords

Ethylene Biosynthesis Ethylene Receptor Nucleotide Sequence Homology Petal Senescence Orchid Flower 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer 2007

Authors and Affiliations

  • Zuliana Razali
    • 1
  • S. Chandran
    • 1
  • Lee Ai Ling
    • 1
  • A. N. Boyce
    • 1
  • Helen Nair
    • 2
  1. 1.Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of ScienceUniversity of MalayaMalaysia
  2. 2.Department of BiotechnologyAsian Institute of Medicine, Science and TechnologyKedahMalaysia

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