238-4 Molecular Characterization of Somatic Embryogenesis Receptor-Like Kinase-1 (ScSERK1) Gene From Sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrid).



Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Henry Gonzalez Convention Center, Hall C, Street Level

Mukesh Jain, Agronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, Andrea Izquierdo, College of Liberal Arts and Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL and Maria Gallo, Agronomy Department, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Leucine-rich repeat (LRR)-containing transmembrane receptor-like kinases (RLKs) are integral components of plant signal transduction pathways. Somatic Embryogenesis Receptor-like Kinase-1 (SERK1), a member of LRR-RLK superfamily, has been proposed to output downstream signaling cascades implicated in early embryonic development, somatic embryogenesis, reproductive development and immune responses. Full-length cDNA and genomic clones (1869 and 4752 bp, GenBank acc. nos. GQ283907 and GQ457454, respectively) encoding a putative SERK1 were isolated from an embryogenic cell culture line of sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrid cv. CP88-1762). The ScSERK1 gene shares a highly conserved exon/intron structure with other members of the SERK gene family. The deduced ScSERK1 amino acid sequence contains 622 residues with a predicted mass of 68.53 kDa and a 25 residue signal peptide for secretory pathway targeting. The mature peptide shares all the hallmark features of LRR-RLKs, namely, a leucine zipper, five LRR regions implicated in extracellular protein-protein interactions, SPP motif, and a transmembrane domain followed by an intracellular kinase domain. Southern blot hybridization suggested that ScSERK1 is represented as a low copy number gene in the aneupolyploid sugarcane genome. Quantitative RT-PCR data confirmed spatiotemporal regulation of ScSERK1 expression during initiation, acquisition and maintenance of in vitro embryogenesis, root and shoot organogenesis and vegetative-to-reproductive phase transition. Molecular data will be presented describing protein-protein interactions within the SERK1 signaling complex during somatic embryogenesis and reproductive phase transition in sugarcane.
See more from this Division: C07 Genomics, Molecular Genetics & Biotechnology
See more from this Session: General Genomics, Molecular Genetics, & Biotechnology: I