Analysis of the floral transcriptome uncovers new regulators of organ determination and gene families related to flower organ differentiation inGerbera hybrida(Asteraceae)
Open Access
- 21 March 2005
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Genome Research
- Vol. 15 (4), 475-486
- https://doi.org/10.1101/gr.3043705
Abstract
Development of composite inflorescences in the plant family Asteraceae has features that cannot be studied in the traditional model plants for flower development. InGerbera hybrida, inflorescences are composed of morphologically different types of flowers tightly packed into a flower head (capitulum). Individual floral organs such as pappus bristles (sepals) are developmentally specialized, stamens are aborted in marginal flowers, petals and anthers are fused structures, and ovaries are located inferior to other floral organs. These specific features have made gerbera a rewarding target of comparative studies. Here we report the analysis of a gerbera EST database containing 16,994 cDNA sequences. Comparison of the sequences with all plant peptide sequences revealed 1656 unique sequences for gerbera not identified elsewhere within the plant kingdom. Based on the EST database, we constructed a cDNA microarray containing 9000 probes and have utilized it in identification of flower-specific genes and abundantly expressed marker genes for flower scape, pappus, stamen, and petal development. Our analysis revealed several regulatory genes with putative functions in flower-organ development. We were also able to associate a number of abundantly and specifically expressed genes with flower-organ differentiation. Gerbera is an outcrossing species, for which genetic approaches to gene discovery are not readily amenable. However, reverse genetics with the help of gene transfer has been very informative. We demonstrate here the usability of the gerbera microarray as a reliable new tool for identifying novel genes related to specific biological questions and for large-scale gene expression analysis.Keywords
This publication has 65 references indexed in Scilit:
- Activation of Anthocyanin Biosynthesis inGerbera hybrida(Asteraceae) Suggests Conserved Protein-Protein and Protein-Promoter Interactions between the Anciently Diverged Monocots and EudicotsPlant Physiology, 2003
- Comparative Analysis of the Arabidopsis Pollen TranscriptomePlant Physiology, 2003
- The MADS Box Gene FBP2 Is Required for SEPALLATA Function in PetuniaPlant Cell, 2003
- A putative lipid transfer protein involved in systemic resistance signalling in ArabidopsisNature, 2002
- Global analysis of gene expression in yeastFunctional & Integrative Genomics, 2002
- Involvement of non-ABC MADS-box genes in determining stamen and carpel identity in Gerbera hybrida (Asteraceae)Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd ,2002
- Isolation and Characterization of cDNAs Expressed in the Early Stages of Flavonol-Induced Pollen Germination in PetuniaPlant Physiology, 2000
- A LIM motif is present in a pollen-specific protein.Plant Cell, 1992
- Mode of Action of Pollen in Breaking Resistance of Vicia faba to Botrytis cinereaNature, 1971
- The effect of pollen grains on infections caused by Botrytis cinerea FrAnnals of Applied Biology, 1968