ISHS Acta Horticulturae 336: II International Symposium on In Vitro Culture and Horticultural Breeding
REGULATION AND FUNCTION OF FLOWER SENESCENCE-RELATED GENES |
| Authors: | W. R. Woodson, Amanda S. Brandt, H. Itzhaki, Julie M. Maxson, K. Park, H. Wang |
| Abstract:
The senescence of carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) flower petals is associated with increased synthesis of the phytohormone ethylene. Ethylene serves to regulate the processes of programmed organ death. We are using molecular approaches to study the mechanisms involved in the induction of ethylene biosynthesis and how ethylene regulates gene expression during petal senescence. We have isolated and cloned cDNAs which encode the ethylene biosynthetic pathway enzymes 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) synthase and ACC oxidase. These cDNAs have been used to study the regulation of ethylene biosynthesis in flower petals during postharvest maturation and senescence. Several senescence-related (SR) mRNAs have been isolated and used to study specific changes in gene expression during flower senescence. In several cases, the increase in SR mRNAs abundance occurred concomitantly with the increase in ethylene associated with petal senescence. Sequence analysis of SR mRNAs revealed homologies with other known proteins, which in some cases points to putative roles of these genes in regulation of senescence. In order to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of SR gene expression, we have analyzed the cis-elements responsible for developmental and hormonal gene regulation during floral senescence. | |
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