Correlating gene expression to physiological parameters and environmental conditions during cold acclimation of Pinus sylvestris, identification of molecular markers using cDNA microarrays.
Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings were grown under different conditions (three field locations, two seasons and two climate room regimes), and then analyzed for freezing tolerance of shoots and roots and for transcript abundance in apical buds based on a cDNA microarray containing about 1500 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from buds of cold-treated Scots pine seedlings. In a climate room providing long daily photoperiods and high temperatures, seedlings did not develop freezing tolerance, whereas seedlings in a climate room set to provide declining temperatures and day lengths developed moderate freezing tolerance. Control seedlings grown outside under field conditions developed full freezing tolerance. Differences in physiological behavior of the different seedling groups, combined with molecular analysis, allowed identification of a large group of genes, expression of which changed during the development of freezing tolerance. Transcript abundance of several of these genes was highly correlated with freezing tolerance in seedlings differing in provenance, field location or age, making them excellent candidate marker genes for molecular tests for freezing tolerance.
Joosen
Ronny V L
RV
Plant Research International B.V., 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Lammers
Michiel
M
Balk
Peter A
PA
Brønnum
Peter
P
Konings
Maurice C J M
MC
Perks
Mike
M
Stattin
Eva
E
van Wordragen
Monique F
MF
van der Geest
A Lonneke H M
AL
D000064:Acclimatization / Q000235:genetics*; D002980:Climate; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005060:Europe; D020224:Expressed Sequence Tags; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D041605:Pinus sylvestris / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012621:Seasons; D036226:Seedlings / Q000235:genetics; D014197:Trees / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D005819:Genetic Markers; D010940:Plant Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger