Gene expression profiling in the stem of young maritime pine trees : detection of ammonium stress-responsive genes in the apex

• The shoots of young conifer trees represent an interesting model to study the development and growth of conifers from meristematic cells in the shoot apex to differentiated tissues at the shoot base. In this work, microarray analysis was used to monitor contrasting patterns of gene expression between the apex and the base ofmaritime pine shoots. A group of differentially expressed genes were selected and validated by examining their relative expression levels in different sections along thestem, from the top to the bottom. After validation of the microarray data, additional geneexpression analyses were also performed in the shoots of young maritime pine treesexposed to different levels of ammonium nutrition. Our results show that the apex ofmaritime pine trees is extremely sensitive to conditions of ammonium excess or deficiency, as revealed by the observed changes in the expression of stress-responsivegenes. This new knowledge may be used to precocious detection of early symptoms of nitrogen nutritional stresses, thereby increasing survival and growth rates of young treesin managed forests. 

Subject headings

LANTBRUKSVETENSKAPER  -- Lantbruksvetenskap, skogsbruk och fiske -- Skogsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES  -- Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries -- Forest Science (hsv//eng)

LANTBRUKSVETENSKAPER  -- Bioteknologi med applikationer på växter och djur -- Växtbioteknologi (hsv//swe)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES  -- Agricultural Biotechnology -- Plant Biotechnology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Biomedical and Life Sciences

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)