Abstract
To understand the dynamics of chromatin and the profile of gene expression during differentiation of plant cells, we use a Zinnia cell culture system, in which isolated mesophyll cells transdifferentiate into tracheary elements. azaC and TSA as inhibitors of DNA methyltransferase and histone deacetylase, respectively, inhibited transdifferentiation. The inhibition depended on the concentration of inhibitors and the time when they were added. These results suggested the gene expression during transdifferentiation may be epigenetically regulated. Then we performed Zinnia gene chip analyses to reveal the global gene expression in the inhibitor-treated cells. When compared to the control experiment without an inhibitor, the data showed that approximately 400 genes were expressed >5-fold in azaC-treated cells 24 hours after the treatment, and that approximately 500 genes were expressed >5-fold in TSA-treated cells 6 hours after the treatment. We will report the gene expression pattern after each inhibitor treatment.
