FOX-superroots of Lotus corniculatus, overexpressing Arabidopsis full-length cDNA, show stable variations in morphological traits

Yasuyo Himuro, Hidenori Tanaka, Masatsugu Hashiguchi, Takanari Ichikawa, Miki Nakazawa, Motoaki Seki, Miki Fujita, Kazuo Shinozaki, Minami Matsui, Ryo Akashi, Franz Hoffmann

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Using the full-length cDNA overexpressor (FOX) gene-hunting system, we have generated 130 Arabidopsis FOX-superroot lines in bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) for the systematic functional analysis of genes expressed in roots and for the selection of induced mutants with interesting root growth characteristics. We used the Arabidopsis-FOX Agrobacterium library (constructed by ligating pBIG2113SF) for the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of superroots (SR) and the subsequent selection of gain-of-function mutants with ectopically expressed Arabidopsis genes. The original superroot culture of L. corniculatus is a unique host system displaying fast root growth in vitro, allowing continuous root cloning, direct somatic embryogenesis and mass regeneration of plants under entirely hormone-free culture conditions. Several of the Arabidopsis FOX-superroot lines show interesting deviations from normal growth and morphology of roots from SR-plants, such as differences in pigmentation, growth rate, length or diameter. Some of these mutations are of potential agricultural interest. Genomic PCR analysis revealed that 100 (76.9%) out of the 130 transgenic lines showed the amplification of single fragments. Sequence analysis of the PCR fragments from these 100 lines identified full-length cDNA in 74 of them. Forty-three out of 74 full-length cDNA carried known genes. The Arabidopsis FOX-superroot lines of L. corniculatus, produced in this study, expand the FOX hunting system and provide a new tool for the genetic analysis and control of root growth in a leguminous forage plant.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)181-187
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Plant Physiology
Volume168
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Jan 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords*

  • FOX-hunting system
  • Full-length cDNA
  • Lotus corniculatus
  • Superroots
  • Transgenic plants

Field of Science*

  • 1.6 Biological sciences

Publication Type*

  • 1.1. Scientific article indexed in Web of Science and/or Scopus database

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