2006 Volume 23 Issue 5 Pages 487-492
The cell line GTH4 generated from the F1 hybrid of Nicotiana gossei×N. tabacum reveals lethality at the seedling stage. The cells proliferated at 37°C but died at 26°C. GTH4S, a cell line derived from GTH4 that does not die at 26°C, was established. Differences in the genes and proteins expressed in the two cell lines were analyzed. GTH4 expressed the gene encoding ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2) which was not expressed in GTH4S. PCR targeting this sequence indicated that GTH4S is missing a segment of DNA containing the E2 locus, suggesting that GTH4S is a deletion mutant of GTH4. An analysis of proteins using anion-exchange HPLC and SDS-PAGE revealed GTH4 to contain protein species not found in GTH4S. The genes and/or proteins involved in the expression of hybrid lethality can be analyzed by comparing these two cell lines.
