Abstract
Auxin (IAA) has a key role in the development processes and environmental responses in plants. However, IAA biosynthesis pathway and the site of IAA synthesis have not been clarified yet. We recently showed that IAA was produced de novo in the 2mm tip of maize coleoptiles, indicating that IAA biosynthesis in this portion and its transport to basal parts accomplish the key roles to auxin action. In the present study, to search for specific proteins and genes expressing in the coleoptile tips, expression profile of proteins and genes were compared using three parts of coleoptiles (0-2 mm, 2-4 mm and 4-6 mm from the top) by 1D/2D-PAGE and RAPD-PCR. We also analyzed protein profiles and identified several proteins by MALDI-TOF-MS using BlotChipTM. At present we have detected about 30 genes and several proteins which are specifically expressed at the tip region of coleoptiles, and their identification are currently in progress.
