Student Scholars Day

Identification of the Late Embryogenesis Abundant Proteins Gene Family in the Orchidaceae

Kirkhof Center 2201

With over 25,000 species, Orchidaceae represents one of the largest and most diverse families of flowering plants. Due to the increasing anthropogenic disturbances, long-term seed storage in seed banks is crucial for the preservation of this family. Our aim is to contribute to the understanding of orchid seed biology and hence the design of seed banking protocols for orchids. Seeds are divided up into two major groups. Orthodox seeds require low water contents and temperatures for storage, while recalcitrant seeds cannot be dried without compromising their internal structural integrity, rendering the seed unviable. At present, it is unclear whether orchid seeds are orthodox or recalcitrant. The accumulation of late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins has often been implicated with the acquisition of desiccation tolerance in orthodox seeds. In hopes of better understanding the acquisition of desiccation tolerance in orchid seeds our short-term goal was to identify members of the LEA protein gene family. Using the limited genomic orchid resources available, we were able to design primers to successfully isolate cDNA clones of four unique LEA protein genes from hybrid Phalaenopsis plants. Using the sequences obtained from this work, we hope to utilize quantitative-PCR to monitor the expression of these 4 LEA gene transcripts at varying stages of seed development.