title: Alfalfa heat shock genes are differentially expressed during somatic embryogenesis.
abstract: We have isolated two cDNA clones (Mshsp18-1; Mshsp18-2) from alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) which encode for small heat shock proteins (HSPs) belonging to the hsp17 subfamily. The predicted amino acid sequences of the two alfalfa proteins are 92% identical and a similar degree of homology (90%) can be detected between Mshsp18-2 and the pea hsp17. In comparison to various members of small HSPs from soybean amino acid sequence similarities of 80-86% were identified. The alfalfa HSPs share a homologous stretch of amino acids in the carboxy terminal region with hsp22, 23, 26 from Drosophila. This region contains the GVLTV motif which is characteristic of several members of small HSPs. At room temperature alfalfa hsp18 mRNAs were not detectable in root and leaf tissues but northern analysis showed a low level of expression in microcallus suspension (MCS). The transcription of Mshsp18 genes is induced by elevated temperature, CdCl2 treatment and osmotic shock in cultured cells. In alfalfa somatic embryos derived from MCS a considerable amount of hsp18 mRNA can be detected during the early embryogenic stages under normal culture conditions. The differential expression of these genes during embryo development suggests a specific functional role for HSPs in plant cells at the time of the developmental switch in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Physiology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Györgyey
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gartner
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Németh
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Magyar
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirt
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heberle-Bors
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dudits
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002104:Cadmium / Q000494:pharmacology; D019256:Cadmium Chloride; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects; D000455:Medicago sativa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D002104:Cadmium; D019256:Cadmium Chloride