THE PLANT CELL, Vol 1, Issue 1 15-24, Copyright © 1989 by American Society of Plant Biologists
Isolation of Tissue-Specific cDNAs from Tomato Pistils
C. S. Gasser, K. A. Budelier, A. G. Smith, D. M. Shah and R. T. Fraley
Plant Molecular Biology, Monsanto Company, 700 Chesterfield Village Parkway, St. Louis, Missouri 63198
We have used a differential plaque hybridization screening procedure to
isolate cDNA clones for genes that show elevated or exclusive expression in
tomato pistils. Clones that showed maximal expression in immature pistils
(premeiotic to early meiosis) and mature pistils (at anthesis) were
isolated. Of nine clones that were characterized, four were found also to
express at some stage of anther development. In situ hybridization
experiments showed that expression of the genes we have identified is very
tightly regulated both spatially and temporally within the pistil. One gene
was identified that is expressed in the pistil only in the transmitting
tissue of the style. A second gene was found to express exclusively in two
to three cell layers of the ovules for a period of less than eight days.