TY - JOUR
T1 - Rootstock effects on gene expression patterns in apple tree scions
AU - Jensen, Philip J.
AU - Rytter, Jo
AU - Detwiler, Elizabeth A.
AU - Travis, James W.
AU - McNellis, Timothy W.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Robert Crassweller, Frederick Gildow, and Gary Moorman for critical comments on the manuscript; Kenneth Hickey for providing the E. amylovora strain; and Noemi Halbrendt for assistance in culturing E. amylovora. This work was supported by an Agricultural Research Project Contract with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (ME 449312 to Robert M. Crassweller, T.W.M., and J.W.T.) and an Innovative Biotechnology Seed Grant Award from the Pennsylvania State University Life Sciences Consortium (T.W.M.).
Copyright:
Copyright 2008 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2003/11
Y1 - 2003/11
N2 - Like many fruit trees, apple trees (Malus pumila) do not reproduce true-to-type from seed. Desirable cultivars are clonally propagated by grafting onto rootstocks that can alter the characteristics of the scion. For example, the M.7 EMLA rootstock is semi-dwarfing and reduces the susceptibility of the scion to Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of fire blight disease. In contrast, the M.9 T337 rootstock is dwarfing and does not alter fire blight susceptibility of the scion. This study represents a comprehensive comparison of gene expression patterns in scions of the 'Gala' apple cultivar grafted to either M.7 EMLA or M.9 T337. Expression was determined by cDNA-AFLP coupled with silver staining of the gels. Scions grafted to the M.9 T337 rootstock showed higher expression of a number of photosynthesis-related, transcription/translation-related, and cell division-related genes, while scions grafted to the M.7 EMLA rootstock showed increased stress-related gene expression. The observed differences in gene expression showed a remarkable correlation with physiological differences between the two graft combinations. The roles that the differentially expressed genes might play in tree stature, stress tolerance, photosynthetic activity, fire blight resistance, and other differences conferred by the two rootstocks are discussed.
AB - Like many fruit trees, apple trees (Malus pumila) do not reproduce true-to-type from seed. Desirable cultivars are clonally propagated by grafting onto rootstocks that can alter the characteristics of the scion. For example, the M.7 EMLA rootstock is semi-dwarfing and reduces the susceptibility of the scion to Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of fire blight disease. In contrast, the M.9 T337 rootstock is dwarfing and does not alter fire blight susceptibility of the scion. This study represents a comprehensive comparison of gene expression patterns in scions of the 'Gala' apple cultivar grafted to either M.7 EMLA or M.9 T337. Expression was determined by cDNA-AFLP coupled with silver staining of the gels. Scions grafted to the M.9 T337 rootstock showed higher expression of a number of photosynthesis-related, transcription/translation-related, and cell division-related genes, while scions grafted to the M.7 EMLA rootstock showed increased stress-related gene expression. The observed differences in gene expression showed a remarkable correlation with physiological differences between the two graft combinations. The roles that the differentially expressed genes might play in tree stature, stress tolerance, photosynthetic activity, fire blight resistance, and other differences conferred by the two rootstocks are discussed.
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U2 - 10.1023/B:PLAN.0000019122.90956.3b
DO - 10.1023/B:PLAN.0000019122.90956.3b
M3 - Article
C2 - 15010615
AN - SCOPUS:1542790520
SN - 0167-4412
VL - 53
SP - 493
EP - 511
JO - Plant molecular biology
JF - Plant molecular biology
IS - 4
ER -