title: Improved somatic embryo maturation in loblolly pine by monitoring ABA-responsive gene expression.
abstract: During loblolly pine zygotic embryo development, increases in mRNAs for three ABA-responsive LEA-like genes coincided with the two developmental stage-specific peaks of endogenous ABA accumulation (Kapik et al. 1995). These ABA concentration profiles from zygotic embryo development were used to develop several tissue culture approaches that altered the exposure of somatic embryos to exogenous ABA. Elevating exogenous ABA at a time corresponding to mid-maturation improved the germination and resulted in more zygotic-like expression of selected genes in somatic embryos. Extending the time on maturation medium for a fourth month increased embryo yield, dry weight, and germination in high-and low-yield genotypes. Optimizing the amounts of embryogenic suspension, plated and exogenous ABA concentration increased from 22 to 66% in the early-stage bipolar embryos that developed to the cotyledonary stage.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Paper Science and Technology, Atlanta, GA 30318-5794, USA.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vales
authors.forename: Xiaorong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Nanfei
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cairney
authors.forename: Gerald S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Pullman
authors.forename: Gary F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Peter
mesh_terms: D000040:Abscisic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D041603:Pinus taeda / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000040:Abscisic Acid