title: Acquisition of embryogenic competency does not require cell division in carrot somatic cell.
abstract: Totipotency is the ability of a cell to regenerate the entire organism, even after previous differentiation as a specific cell. When totipotency is coupled with active cell division, it was presumed that cell division is essential for this expression. Here, using the stress-induction system of somatic embryos in carrots, we show that cell division is not essential for the expression of totipotency in somatic/embryonic conversion. Morphological and histochemical analyses showed that the cell did not divide during embryo induction. Inhibitors of cell division did not affect the rate of somatic embryo formation. Our results indicate that the newly acquired trait of differentiation appears without cell division, but does not arise with cell division as a newborn cell.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, Gene Research Center, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Ten-noudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8752, Japan. kikuike@gene.tsukuba.ac.jp
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asahina
authors.forename: Motoki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Shinobu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kamada
mesh_terms: D016590:Aphidicolin / Q000494:pharmacology; D001549:Benzamides / Q000494:pharmacology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D018552:Daucus carota / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D058439:Plant Somatic Embryogenesis Techniques; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D039901:Totipotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D001549:Benzamides; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; C001059:pronamide; D016590:Aphidicolin