title: Gene expression during anthesis and senescence in Iris flowers.
abstract: We investigated changes in gene expression in Iris hollandica flowers by microarray technology. Flag tepals were sampled daily, from three days prior to flower opening to the onset of visible senescence symptoms. Gene expression profiles were compared with biochemical data including lipid and protein degradation and DNA coiling, and with morphological data. Plasmodesmata of mesophyll cells closed about two days before flower opening, while in the epidermis they closed concomitant with opening. Similarly, the onset of visible senescence in the epidermis cells occurred about two days later than in the mesophyll. About 1400 PCR-amplified clones, derived from a subtractive cDNA library enriched for tepal-specific genes, were spotted and about 240 clones, including 200 that were expressed most differentially, were sequenced. The expression patterns showed three main clusters. One exhibited high expression during tepal growth (cluster A). These genes were putatively associated with pigmentation, cell wall synthesis and metabolism of lipids and proteins. The second cluster (B) was highly expressed during flower opening. The third cluster (C) related to the final stages of senescence, with genes putatively involved in signal transduction, and the remobilization of phospholipids, proteins, and cell wall compounds. Throughout the sampling period, numerous plant defence genes were highly expressed. We identified an ion channel protein putatively involved in senescence, and some putative regulators of transcription and translation, including a MADS-domain factor.
authors.affiliation: Agrotechnology and Food Innovations, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, Netherlands. wouter.vandoorn@wur.nl
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: van Doorn
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Balk
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: van Houwelingen
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Hoeberichts
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vorst
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: van der Schoot
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: van Wordragen
mesh_terms: D015152:Blotting, Northern; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D015723:Gene Library; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Q000379:methods; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger