Research Information System
International Workshop on Green Biotechnology, Kocaeli, Turkey, 21 - 23 September 2015, pp.69
Genomic imprinting primarily occurs in the endosperm, plays an important role on seed development in angiosperms and results in parent-of-origin specific allelic gene expression. Although, the ratios of parental genomes (2maternal:1paternal) within endosperm have serious effects on seed development, apomicts can produce embryo without paternal genome contribution and produce endosperm with 4m:1p genome ratios.
In this study, we would like to investigate how apomict plant species can cope with parental genome imbalance in endosperm. We are using apomict and sexual Boechera species and investigating the expresion levels and structural analysis of YUC10 gene. YUC10 has been recently reported as paternally expressed imprinted gene and encodes flavin monooxygenases which involves in auxin synthesis and essential for embryogenesis and leaf formation in Arabidopsis thaliana.
We obtained nucleotide and protein sequences of YUC10 from sexual B. stricta using Phytozome v10.3 database. Since apomict B. holboellii genome has not been assembled yet, we used Geneious R8 software to obtain YUC10 sequences. We also investigated the expression levels of YUC10 in apomict and sexual Boechera species. Our results showed that genomic sequences of B. stricta YUC10 is 2192 bp in length and comprised 4 exons, encodes a protein contains 382 amino acids which is highly identical (91.9%) to A.thaliana YUC10. The genomic sequences of B. holboellii YUC10 is 2094 bp in total, and also comprised 4 exons, encodes a protein contains 382 amino acids which is also highly identical (94%) to A.thaliana YUC10. We also found that YUC10 is expressed in apomict Boechera species.
We conclude that, YUC10 can be used as a tool to understand the genetic mechanisms of genomic imprinting in apomicts.