title: Isolation of the gene encoding Carrot leafy cotyledon1 and expression analysis during somatic and zygotic embryogenesis.
abstract: The Arabidopsis thaliana LEC1 gene regulates embryo morphology and seed maturation. For a better understanding of its function, we isolated a carrot (Daucus carota L. cv. US-Harumakigosun) counterpart of this gene, C-LEC1, from a cDNA library of carrot somatic embryos, since carrot is a better model plant for preparing large quantities of somatic embryos at the same developmental stage. The predicted amino acid sequence of C-LEC1 is similar to that of LEC1 and contains regions that are conserved in the heme-activated protein 3 (HAP3) subunit of plants, animals and microorganisms. C-LEC1 expression was detected in embryogenic cells, somatic embryos, and developing seeds. In situ hybridization analysis revealed C-LEC1 expression in the peripheral region of the embryos but not in the endosperm. Expression of C-LEC1 driven by Arabidopsis LEC1 promoter was able to complement the defects of the Arabidopsis lec1-1 mutant. These results suggest that C-LEC1 is a functional homolog of Arabidopsis LEC1, an important regulator of zygotic and somatic embryo development.
authors.affiliation: Gene Research Center, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan. yazawa@sakura.cc.tsukuba.ac.jp
authors.forename: Katsumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yazawa
authors.forename: Kiminori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahata
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kamada
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D022762:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018552:Daucus carota / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics*; D015723:Gene Library; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D012639:Seeds / Q000378:metabolism*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D022762:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins; C113191:LEC1 protein, Arabidopsis; D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors