title: Characterization of LEAFY COTYLEDON1-LIKE gene in Helianthus annuus and its relationship with zygotic and somatic embryogenesis.
abstract: The Helianthus annuus LEAFY COTYLEDON1-LIKE (HaL1L) gene encodes a heme-activated protein 3 subunit of the CCAAT box-binding factor. The phylogenetic analysis indicates that HaL1L is closely related to LEAFY COTYLEDON1 (LEC1)-type of Arabidopsis thaliana. In particular, the peptide results homologous to the LEC1-LIKE gene of A. thaliana, with which it shares a high amino acid sequence identity (56%). HaL1L transcripts are accumulated primarily at an early stage of sunflower embryogenesis. High levels of HaL1L messenger RNA (mRNA) have been detected in the developing embryo proper, suspensor, endosperm, integument, and integumentary tapetum cells, while in unfertilized ovules, HaL1L mRNA was present at rather low levels. In an attempt to examine the involvement of HaL1L on somatic embryogenesis, a somaclonal variant of H. annuus x H. tuberosus (EMB-2) that produces ectopic embryo- and shoot-like structures, arranged in clusters along leaf veins, was used. We found that the epiphyllous proliferation of ectopic embryos on EMB-2 leaves was associated to HaL1L mRNA accumulation. The detection of HaL1L transcripts was evident in somatic embryos at the heart- and early cotyledon-stage. On the contrary, no signal related to HaL1L transcript accumulation was observed in EMB-2 leaves characterized by the presence of shoot-like structures. Together, these results support the conclusion that the transcription of the HaL1L gene is maintained both in zygotic and in somatic embryogenesis. In addition, the ectopic accumulation of HaL1L mRNA in parenchymal cells around the vascular bundles of epiphyllous leaves opens the possibility that HaL1L could also be involved in switching somatic cell fate towards embryogenic competence.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia delle Piante Agrarie, Sezione di Genetica, Università di Pisa, Via Matteotti 1B, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fambrini
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Durante
authors.forename: Giuliano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cionini
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Geri
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giorgetti
authors.forename: Vania
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Michelotti
authors.forename: Mariangela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salvini
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pugliesi
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D047108:Embryonic Development; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D006368:Helianthus / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins