Transcript profiling of differentiating xylem of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.)

Wood formation (xylogenesis) is a critical developmental process for all woody land plants. As an initial step to understand the molecular basis for temporal and spatial regulation of xylogenesis and the effect of the expression of individual genes on physical and chemical properties of wood, microarray and realtime RTPCR analyses were performed to monitor gene expression during xylogenesis under various developmental and environmental conditions. The specific objectives established for this study were: Objective 1. Microarray analysis of genes preferentially expressed in differentiating xylem compared to other tissues of loblolly pine (see Chapter II); Objective 2. Microarray analysis of seasonal variation in gene expression for loblolly pines (Pinus taeda L.) from different geographical sources (see Chapter III); Objective 3. Realtime RTPCR analysis of loblolly pine AGP and AGPlike genes (see Chapter IV). Based on the results from this study, candidate genes may be further studied for association with significant traits, used for genetic modification of wood properties, or included in future studies to further examine the molecular mechanisms of wood formation.