Abstract
Somatic embryogenesis is unique characteristics of plant cells. Embryogenic cells (EC) of carrot maintained in the medium containing 2,4-D regenerate whole plants via somatic embryogenesis after depletion of 2,4-D.
To characterize the early mechanism in the induction of somatic embryogenesis, we isolated genes expressed during the early stage of somatic embryogenesis after 2,4-D depletion. Nucleotide sequence of candidate gene and its function in transgenic carrot callus with the reduced expression suggested that this gene product was involved in the cell-to-cell attachment and early somatic embryo development, thus we named as Cell Attachment Protein in Somatic Embryogenesis (CAPSE). CAPSE had agglutinin domain and its expression was specific to primordial cells of somatic embryo. The transgenic cells with reduced expression of CAPSE showed the decrease of polysaccharide on the surface of cell wall and the delay of somatic embryogenesis. The importance of cell-to-cell attachment on the embryogenesis will be discussed.
