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Differences in Gene Expression and Regulation during Ontogenetic Phase Change in Apple Seedlings

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Abstract

A woody perennial plant has to undergo a gradual and continuous process of transition from juvenility to reproductive maturity. To better understand the underlying mechanism of ontogenesis, our aim in this study was to identify differentially expressed genes between juvenile phase and adult phase not only among different seedlings but also among different hybrid crosses. Two reciprocal subtracted cDNA libraries of juvenile versus adult phases were constructed using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) in an apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) hybrid seedling (Jonathan × Golden Delicious). The expression uniformity of genes between the two ontogenetic phases was reconfirmed by real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) in three seedlings from the same population and also in three seedlings from different hybrid populations. Some potential post-transcriptional regulated genes were confirmed by semi-quantitative PCR. Eighty-five expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were up-regulated in the juvenile phase, and 103 ESTs were up-regulated in the adult phase. The transcription of genes associated with lipid metabolism, chloroplast protein metabolism and secondary metabolism was up-regulated in the adult phase; however, the expression of some phytohormone responsive genes was up-regulated during the juvenile phase. Several ontogenetic differential genes, such as rbcS, differed in sequences or elements in mRNA 3′ untranslated region (3′ UTR). In summary, the ontogenetic variations are probably under both transcriptional and post transcriptional regulation. The expression of redox related genes differed between juvenile and adult phase, indicating that redox homeostasis may play a role in vegetative phase change and floral transition.

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Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) [Grant 31071774].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Horticultural Plants, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China

    Yan Gao, Xin Cao, Yi Wang, Zhen Hai Han & Xin Zhong Zhang

  2. Changli Institute of Pomology, Hebei Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Changli, 066600, China

    Feng Qiu Yang, Chun Min Li, Yong Bo Zhao, Guang Juan Zeng & Dong Mei Chen

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  1. Yan Gao
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  2. Feng Qiu Yang
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  3. Xin Cao
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  4. Chun Min Li
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Correspondence to Zhen Hai Han or Xin Zhong Zhang.

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Fig. S1

Differential screening of the subtractive cDNA libraries by dot blotting. 244 clones in I and 284 clones in II showed distinct differences (marked by red circles). I: Dot blotting using the cDNA from the juvenile phase as probes; II: Dot blotting using the cDNA from the adult phase as probes. a-l were PCR products of positive clones from juvenile library; m-x were PCR products of positive clones from adult library. The exact radiation intensity ratio of positive dot were showed in Table S1. (JPEG 152 kb)

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Gao, Y., Yang, F.Q., Cao, X. et al. Differences in Gene Expression and Regulation during Ontogenetic Phase Change in Apple Seedlings. Plant Mol Biol Rep 32, 357–371 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11105-013-0648-2

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