Identification of Genes Related to Endosperm Balance Number Insensitivity in Paspalum notatum

DEPETRIS, MARA B.; QUARIN, C.; ACUÑA, C.A.; FELITTI, S.A.; POZZI, F.I.; ACUÑA, C.A.; DEPETRIS, MARA B.; FELITTI, S.A.; QUARIN, C.; POZZI, F.I.

CROP SCIENCE

CROP SCIENCE SOC AMER

Lugar: Baltimore; Año: 2018 vol. 58 p. 1 - 10

0011-183X

The endosperm balance number (EBN) theorystates that genomic contribution ratio shouldbe kept at 2:1 maternal/paternal (m:p) ratio fornormal endosperm development. However, theendosperm formation in apomictic Paspalumnotatum Flüggé does not depend on theEBN. The aim of this work was to characterizegene expression during seed formationfrom apomictic and sexual P. notatum usingcomplementary DNA-amplified fragment lengthpolymorphism methodology. To induce theformation of seeds with different m:p genomicratios, crosses were made between genotypeswith different ploidy levels and reproductivemodes. RNA was isolated from ovaries 24 h afterpollination, when maximum endosperm growthrate was expected. Some of the 49 differentiallyexpressed transcript-derived fragments(DETDFs) provided relevant information. Three ofthose were found in ovaries of apomictic plantswith an EBN different from 2:1. A DETDF waspredicted to be involved in sucrose metabolismduring the accumulation of hexose and starchin the endosperm and might be related to EBNinsensitivity. Twenty-two DETDFs were found incrosses where sexual plants were used as thefemale parent and the predicted m:p ratio wasnot 2:1. One of those was related to the failure offusion of the polar nuclei in Arabidopsis thaliana(L.) Heynh. Finally, three transcripts presentedsimilarity with a casein kinase II that regulatesthe accumulation of storage products in seedsof A. thaliana. Both processes might be involvedin endosperm development in P. notatum.