Differential gene expression in calla lily plants (Zantedeschia spp.)

Zantedeschia spp. Spreng. species (Araceae Family) are monoctyledons, herbaceous, perennial, with neutral photoperiod, and winter-dormant plants, which have an underground storage organ (tuber). Several Zantedeschia cultivars contribute to the international floriculture market, but little is known about the changes in metabolism and the differential expression of genes taking place within the tuber during dormancy and active growth of the plant. The objective of the present study was to study the differential gene expression in tuber, leaves and sprout of Zantedeschia spp. through mRNA differential display. Plants of Zantedeschia spp. were used, multiplied in vitro in the Applied Molecular Biology Laboratory at the Universidad de la Frontera, Temuco, Chile. From the different combinations of primers, 45 partial cDNAs were obtained, some of which were tissue-specific. Differential expression was assessed by Northern blot analysis for eight selected clones. To obtain complete sequences of the clones, expression libraries were constructed from total RNA of different organs and the partial cDNAs were used as probe to screen these libraries. Sequence analysis revealed homology to genes described in the literature, including actin depolymerizing protein, proteins induced by elicitor and dehydration, low temperature and salinity response proteins, Skp1-like and FAP proteins and Rubisco activase protein.