Abstract
Cryptomeria japonica is one of the most important Japanese conifer species. But the transfer of foreign genes from GM plants to related plant species by pollen has been thought to be an environmental concern. For the purpose of creating male sterile GM C. japonica, we attempted to identify the genes related to male flower formation.
To identify genes expressed preferentially during male flower development, male flower specific suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) cDNA libraries were derived from three different stages of male flower development. Sequence analysis showed that one of the isolated clones was similar to the sunflower anther specific cell wall protein, SF18. We have isolated promoters of male flower specific genes using TAIL-PCR method. Now we are trying to analyze cis-acting elements regulating transcription of male flower specific genes.
Acknowledgements: This work was supported in part by AFFRC, MAFF, Japan
