Abstract:

The Arabidopsis WUSCHEL (WUS) gene plays a key role in the specification of the stem cells in the shoot apical meristem (SAM). A cDNA of WUS has been amplified with the RT-PCR approach from Arabidopsis. The plant overexpression vector was constructed. It was driven by a dual enhanced CaMV35S promoter. The construct was transformed into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L., via Agrobacterium mediation. Dramatic phenotypic changes appeared in the WUS overexpression transgenic plants. Aberrant cell divisions and ectopic organogenesis could be found in almost every aerial parts of the transgenic tobacco except the meristems and the inner two floral whorls. The data showed a highly conserved function of WUS in tobacco, and suggested that WUS is involved in organogenesis. The leaves were malformed, which strongly matched those only described previously for plants grown in the presence of polar auxin transport inhibitors. It suggested a possible function of WUS in leaf development. These results provide useful information for functional analysis of WUS and important biotechnological implication as well.

Key words: WUSCHEL, Nicotiana tabacum , overexpression, phenotypic analysis