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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Forage Seed and Cereal Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #190870
Title: TISSUE-SPECIFIC TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS EXPRESSED IN GERMINATING ARABIDOPSIS SEEDS

Author
item HEWITT, JESSICA - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
item LIU, P - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
item KOIZUKA, N - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
item HOMRICHHAUSEN, T - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
item Martin, Ruth
item NONOGAKI, HIRO - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/31/2005
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The enhancer-trap technology has been used to identify genes expressed in various tissues. This abstract describes the use of enhancer-trap lines to identify genes that are important during seed development. Two enhancer trapped genes, both transcription factors, that are expressed during different stages of seed germination were discussed.

Technical Abstract: Multiple regulatory protein genes expressed in germinating Arabidopsis seeds were identified by screening Arabidopsis enhancer-trap lines (Thomas Jack lines, 1,130 pools of 10 lines, CS31086, Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center) for '-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene expression in seeds. The identified genes included signal transduction proteins such as protein phosphatase 2C and transcription factors such as a homeodmain-leucine zipper protein, a zinc finger protein and a PWWP transcription factor. GUS activity was expressed in a tissue specific manner. The two lines which had the T-DNA insertion sites in the vicinity of genes of a zinc finger protein and a leucine-zipper protein, showed GUS expression exclusively in the micropylar end of the Arabidopsis seeds, while the enhancer-trap line of the putative transcription factor PWWP protein exhibited cotyledon tip-specific GUS signal. The results of semi-quantitative RT-PCR revealed that these transcription factor genes were expressed in imbibed Arabidopsis seeds before radicle emergence. The zinc finger protein gene was expressed during cold treatment suggesting a potential role in dormancy breakage, while the homeodomain-leucinzipper protein gene was expressed after cold treatment indicating a role in early germinative events. The results of expression analysis using transparent testa mutants and functional analysis using knockout plants for these transcription factors will be introduced.