Evaluation of the Function and Expression Pattern of Medicago truncatula Auxin Responsе Factor B3 after Heterologous Expression in Arabidopsis Thaliana

M. REVALSKA1, V. VASSILEVA2, G. ZEHIROV2 and A. IANTCHEVA1
1 Agricultural Academy, AgroBioInstitute, BG-1164 Sofi a, Bulgaria
2 Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics, BG-1113 Sofi a, Bulgaria

Abstract

REVALSKA, M., V. VASSILEVA, G. ZEHIROV and A. IANTCHEVA, 2016. Evaluation of the function and expression pattern of Medicago truncatula Auxin Responsе Factor B3 after heterologous expression in Arabidopsisthaliana. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 22: 783–793

The phytohormone auxin plays a vital role in almost every aspect of plant growth and development. Expression of auxinresponsive genes is controlled by a family of Auxin Response Factor (ARF) transcription factor family. This study examined the function and expression pattern of a gene encoding Auxin Response Factor B3 from Medicago truncatula (МtARF-B3) after its heterologous expression in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Stable transgenic plants with ARF-B3 overexpression, downregulation and transcriptional reporters were constructed. Transcriptional and histochemical assays revealed a stable MtARF-B3 expression in various stages of somatic embryogenesis and during the postembryonic development of A. thaliana. Morphological analysis and morphometric measurements confi rmed the important role of MtARF-B3 in general plant growth and development, root growth and seed production.

Key words: Arabidopsis thaliana; gene expression; Medicago truncatula Auxin Response Factor B3 (MtARF-B3); plant development; plant growth
Abbreviations: ARF – Auxin Response Factor; GFP – green fl uorescent protein; GUS – β-glucuronidase; NLS – nuclear localization signal; OE – overexpression; RNAi – RNA interference; TF – transcription factor; WT – wild type

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