Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Cereal Crops Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #281934
Title: Developing tools for investigating the multiple roles of ethylene: Identification and mapping genes for ethylene biosynthesis and reception in barley

Author
item Dahleen, Lynn
item TYAGI, NEERJA - North Dakota State University
item Bregitzer, Paul
item Brown, Ryan
item Morgan, William

Submitted to: Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/2/2012
Publication Date: 8/24/2012
Citation: Dahleen, L.S., Tyagi, N., Bregitzer, P.P., Brown, R.H., Morgan, W.C. 2012. Developing tools for investigating the multiple roles of ethylene: Identification and mapping genes for ethylene biosynthesis and reception in barley. Molecular Genetics and Genomics. 287:793-802.

Interpretive Summary: The plant hormone ethylene is important to many plant processes from germination through senescence, including responses to tissue culture and plant regeneration. Knowledge of the number and function, of genes that are involved in making and detecting ethylene is necessary to determine the role of specific genes within gene families known to influence ethylene function in plants. In this study, we have identified and located multiple members of genes in the barley 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) synthase (ACS), ACC oxidase (ACO), and ethylene receptor (ETR) gene families. Methods to identify each gene were developed and used for mapping in the Oregon Wolf Barley mapping population. Five ACS, 8 ACO, and 7 ETR genes were identified and mapped to six of the barley chromosomes. Gene duplication was evident for ACO genes on chromosomes 5H and 6H. Gene-specific methods will be useful for determining expression of each gene under various environmental conditions, including the tissue culture environments, to better understand the role of ethylene.

Technical Abstract: The plant hormone ethylene is important to many plant processes from germination through senescence, including responses to in vitro growth and plant regeneration. Knowledge of the number of genes, and of their function, that are involved in ethylene biosynthesis and reception is necessary to determine the role of specific genes within gene families known to influence ethylene biosynthesis and other aspects of ethylene function in plants. Our objective was built on previous studies that have established the critical role of ethylene in the in vitro response of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), and that have identified ethylene-related QTLs in the barley genome. In this study, we have identified multiple members, and their locations, of genes in the barley 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) synthase (ACS), ACC oxidase (ACO), and ethylene receptor (ETR) gene families. Specific primers for PCR amplification of each gene were developed and used for mapping in the Oregon Wolf Barley mapping population. Five ACS, 8 ACO, and 7 ETR genes were identified and mapped to six of the barley chromosomes. Gene locations were syntenous to the orthologs in rice except for two that mapped to chromosome 6H. Gene duplication was evident for ACO genes on chromosomes 5H and 6H. Gene-specific primers will be useful for determining expression of each gene under various environmental conditions, including in vitro environments, to better understand the role of ethylene.