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. We analyzed the dynamics of histone modification during culture, and revealed a dynamic change in the level of acetylated histone H3. Next we examined the effect of TSA, an inhibitor of histone deacetylase, on tracheary element differentiation and found that TSA inhibited the transdifferentiation. The inhibition depended on the concentration of TSA and the time when it was added. These results suggested the regulation of histone acetylation / deacetylation may be important. Then we performed Zinnia gene chip analyses to reveal comrehensive gene expression in TSA-treated cells. The data showed that approximately 500 genes were expressed >5-fold more in TSA-treated cells than control 6 hours after the treatment. Based on these results, we will discuss the relation between gene regulation and chromatin modification.
