Gene expression analysis during somatic and zygotic embryo development in Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) O. Kuntze

• Grant number: 11/51659-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: February 01, 2012
• End date: July 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Applied Botany
• Principal Investigator: Eny Iochevet Segal Floh
• Grantee: Eny Iochevet Segal Floh
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• City of the host institution: São Paulo

Abstract

Somatic embryogenesis (SE) is a biotechnology method developed to produce in vitro embryos. It is considered one of the most promising approaches in the development of efficient micropropagation, genetic improvement and germplasm conservation techniques. However, commercial application of SE in Araucaria angustifolia - as well as in other species - today faces several obstacles. Impracticality to induce embryogenic cultures using mature tissues, influence of mother plant (genotype, and fast loss of embryogenic competence by cell cultures are among the technical difficulties encountered in SE. Several of these obstacles are the result of suboptimal in vitro cultivation conditions of embryogenic cultures. In this sense, the establishment of artificial conditions for the correct in vitro embryo development depends on more in-depth knowledge about biochemical, physiological and genetic factors governing the development of the zygotic embryo (in vivo). The research project proposes the analysis of transcriptome using the RNA-Seq technique during zygotic and somatic A. angustifolia embryos development to identify genes that may afford a molecular characterization of the embryogenic process and develop markers to improve the micropropagation technique using somatic embryogenesis. The results expected should lay the grounds for the establishment of A. angustifolia conservation strategies, including germplasm banks and the development of genetic improvement programs using biotechnological tools. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ELBL, PAULA; NAVARRO, BRUNO V.; DE OLIVEIRA, LEANDRO F.; ALMEIDA, JULIANA; MOSINI, C.; DOS SANTOS, ANDRE L. W.; ROSSI, MAGDALENA; FLOH, ENY I. S.. Identification and Evaluation of Reference Genes for Quantitative Analysis of Brazilian Pine (Araucaria angustifolia Bertol. Kuntze) Gene Expression. PLoS One, v. 10, n. 8, AUG 27 2015. (11/51659-7)