Key messageExtensive modulation of numerous ARF transcripts in the embryogenic culture of Arabidopsis indicates a substantial role of auxin signaling in the mechanism of somatic embryogenesis induction.AbstractSomatic embryogenesis (SE) is induced by auxin in plants and auxin signaling is considered to play a key role in the molecular mechanism that controls the embryogenic transition of plant somatic cells. Accordingly, the expression of AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR (ARF) genes in embryogenic culture of Arabidopsis was analyzed. The study revealed that 14 of the 22 ARFs were transcribed during SE in Arabidopsis. RT-qPCR analysis indicated that the expression of six ARFs (ARF5, ARF6, ARF8, ARF10, ARF16, and ARF17) was significantly up-regulated, whereas five other genes (ARF1, ARF2, ARF3, ARF11, and ARF18) were substantially down-regulated in the SE-induced explants. The activity of ARFs during SE was also monitored with GFP reporter lines and the ARFs that were expressed in areas of the explants engaged in SE induction were detected. A functional test of ARFs transcribed during SE was performed and the embryogenic potential of the arf mutants and overexpressor lines was evaluated. ARFs with a significantly modulated expression during SE coupled with an impaired embryogenic response of the relevant mutant and/or overexpressor line, including ARF1, ARF2, ARF3, ARF5, ARF6, ARF8, and ARF11 were indicated as possibly being involved in SE induction. The study provides evidence that embryogenic induction strongly depends on ARFs, which are key regulators of the auxin signaling. Some clues on the possible functions of the candidate ARFs, especially ARF5, in the mechanism of embryogenic transition are discussed. The results provide guidelines for further research on the auxin-related functional genomics of SE and the developmental plasticity of somatic cells.
Expression profiling of AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR genes during somatic embryogenesis induction in Arabidopsis
Published 2017 in Plant Cell Reports
ABSTRACT
PUBLICATION RECORD
- Publication year
2017
- Venue
Plant Cell Reports
- Publication date
2017-03-02
- Fields of study
Biology, Medicine, Environmental Science
- Identifiers
- External record
- Source metadata
Semantic Scholar, PubMed
CITATION MAP
EXTRACTION MAP
CLAIMS
CONCEPTS
- arf mutants and overexpressor lines
Genetic Arabidopsis lines with loss-of-function arf alleles or elevated ARF expression used to test functional involvement in embryogenesis.
Aliases: arf mutants, overexpressor lines
- auxin response factor genes
A family of auxin-responsive transcription factor genes whose transcript presence and regulation were examined during embryogenic transition.
Aliases: ARF genes, ARFs
- auxin signaling
The auxin-controlled signaling pathway that regulates developmental responses in plant cells.
Aliases: auxin-related signaling
- embryogenic culture of arabidopsis
The Arabidopsis tissue-culture system used to study gene expression during embryogenic transition.
Aliases: embryogenic culture
- gfp reporter lines
Transgenic Arabidopsis lines carrying GFP reporters used to visualize where ARF activity or expression occurs in explant tissue.
Aliases: GFP lines
- rt-qpcr
A quantitative reverse-transcription PCR method used here to measure ARF transcript abundance in induced explants.
Aliases: quantitative RT-PCR, qPCR
- somatic embryogenesis induction
The developmental process in which somatic cells acquire an embryogenic fate under culture conditions.
Aliases: SE induction, SE