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Improved somatic embryo maturation in loblolly pine by monitoring ABA-responsive gene expression

  • Cell biology and morphogenesis
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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.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the member companies of IPST and the State of Georgia TIP3 program for financial support of this work. JC and JP acknowledge support from the National Science Foundation, Plant Genome Program (Award 0217594). We also thank Union Camp/International Paper for providing cones and seed used to start cultures and Heidi Schindler and Michelle Lane for valuable technical assistance.

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Author notes

  1. Teresa Vales

    Present address: Arborgen, P.O. Box 840001, Summerville, SC, 29484, USA

  2. Xiaorong Feng

    Present address: Argos Therapeutics, 4233 Technology Drive, Durham, NC, 27704, USA

  3. Nanfei Xu

    Present address: BASF Plant Science, NC, 26 Davis Drive, RTP, NC, 27709, USA

  4. Gary F. Peter

    Present address: School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, P.O. Box 110410, Gainesville, FL, 32611-0410, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Paper Science and Technology, 500 10th Street, NW Atlanta, GA, 30318-5794, USA

    Teresa Vales, Xiaorong Feng, Lin Ge, Nanfei Xu, John Cairney & Gerald S. Pullman

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  1. Teresa Vales
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  2. Xiaorong Feng
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  6. Gerald S. Pullman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gary F. Peter.

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Communicated by S. A. Merkle

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Vales, T., Feng, X., Ge, L. et al. Improved somatic embryo maturation in loblolly pine by monitoring ABA-responsive gene expression. Plant Cell Rep 26, 133–143 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-006-0221-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-006-0221-7

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