Project description:Purpose: Maize somatic embryogenesis is usually required to achieve genetic transformation and represents an important alternative in plant development. Although many embryogenesis-related genes have been studied in this model, the molecular mechanisms underlying cell dedifferentiation and further plant regeneration are not completely understood. Methods: Immature embryos smRNA profiles of 15-day-after-pollination (IE) and Embryogenic Callus from one (C1), four (C4), and ten months (C10) were generated by deep sequencing, using Illumina GAIIx. The sequence reads that passed quality filters were analyzed with two methods: Bowtie 1.1.2 and ShortStack 3.4. qRT–PCR validation for selected miRNAs was performed using SYBR Green assays. Results: We used high throughput sequencing to explore the sRNA populations during maize embryogenic callus induction and established subcultures from the Mexican cultivar VS-535, Tuxpeño landrace. We detected readjustments in 24 nt and 21-22 nt sRNA populations during the embryogenic callus establishment and maintenance. miRNAs related to stress response substantially increased upon callus proliferation establishment, correlating with a reduction in some of their target levels. On the other hand, while 24 nt-long hc-siRNAs derived from transposable retroelements transiently decreased in abundance during the embryogenic callus establishment, a population of 22 nt- hc-siRNAs increased. This was accompanied by reduction in transposon expression in the established callus subcultures. Conclusions: Stress- and development-related miRNAs are highly expressed upon maize EC callus induction and during maintenance subcultures, while miRNAs involved in hormone response only transiently increase during induction. The establishment of proliferative maize embryogenic callus is accompanied by important readjustments in the length of hc-siRNAs mapping to LTR retrotransposons, and their expression regulation.
Project description:Plants regenerated from tissue culture frequently show somaclonal variation. In this study we compared the transcriptomic and epigenetic state of embryogenic callus of grapevine with leaves from mature grapevine plants. In particular, we focussed on the expression of transposable elements and changes in siRNA abundance and genome-wide methylation in these tissues.
Project description:Plants regenerated from tissue culture frequently show somaclonal variation. In this study we compared the transcriptomic and epigenetic state of embryogenic callus of grapevine with leaves from mature grapevine plants. In particular, we focussed on the expression of transposable elements and changes in siRNA abundance and genome-wide methylation in these tissues.
Project description:Plants regenerated from tissue culture frequently show somaclonal variation. In this study we compared the transcriptomic and epigenetic state of embryogenic callus of grapevine with leaves from mature grapevine plants. In particular, we focussed on the expression of transposable elements and changes in siRNA abundance and genome-wide methylation in these tissues.
Project description:Somatic embryogenesis is an important biological process in several plant species, including sugarcane. Proteomics approaches have shown that H+ pumps are differentially regulated during somatic embryogenesis; however, the relationship between H+ flux and embryogenic competence is still unclear. This work aimed to elucidate the association between extracellular H+ flux and somatic embryo maturation in sugarcane. We performed a microsomal proteomics analysis and analyzed changes in extracellular H+ flux and H+ pump (P-H+-ATPase, V-H+-ATPase and H+-PPase) activity in embryogenic and non-embryogenic callus. A total of 657 proteins were identified, 16 of which were H+ pumps. We observed that P-H+-ATPase and H+-PPase were more abundant in embryogenic callus. Compared with non-embryogenic callus, embryogenic callus showed high H+ influx, especially at maturation day 14 as well as higher H+ pump activity, mainly P-H+-ATPase and H+-PPase activity. The H+-PPase appears to be the major H+ pump in embryogenic callus during somatic embryo formation, functioning in both vacuole acidification and PPi homeostasis. These results provide evidence for an association between higher H+ pump protein abundance and, consequently, higher H+ flux and embryogenic competence acquisition in the callus of sugarcane.
Project description:Somatic variation is a valuable source of trait diversity in clonally propagated crops. In grapevine, which has been clonally propagated worldwide for centuries, important phenotypes such as white berry colour are the result of genetic changes caused by transposable elements. Additionally, epiallele formation may play a role in determining geo-specific (‘terroir’) differences in grapes and thus ultimately in wine. This genomic plasticity might be co-opted for crop improvement via somatic embryogenesis, but that depends on a species-specific understanding of the epigenetic regulation of transposable element (TE) expression and silencing in these cultures. For this reason, we used whole-genome bisulphite sequencing, mRNA sequencing and small RNA sequencing to study the epigenetic status and expression of TEs in embryogenic callus, in comparison with leaf tissue.