Zhongmei Hong , Wenzhong Huang

CRO Service Station, Sanya Tihitar SciTech Breeding Service Inc., Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China
Author    Correspondence author
Plant Gene and Trait, 2024, Vol. 15, No. 2   
Received: 17 Mar., 2024    Accepted: 21 Apr., 2024    Published: 30 Apr., 2024

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Transcriptome analysis revealed significant differences in gene expression between differentiated and dedifferentiated tissues in Eucalyptus species with varying embryogenetic potentials. Specifically, 9 229 and 8 989 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in E. camaldulensis and E. grandis x urophylla, respectively. Key genes involved in somatic embryogenesis, such as somatic embryogenesis receptor kinase, ethylene, auxin, and transcription factors, were differentially regulated. Functional studies using Eucalyptus hairy roots demonstrated the utility of these genes in secondary cell wall biosynthesis and wood formation. Overexpression of FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) induced early flowering, facilitating rapid breeding cycles. The identified genes and their functional roles offer valuable insights for improving vegetative propagation and breeding programs. The findings also highlight the potential of using genetic and transcriptomic tools to accelerate the development of Eucalyptus species with desirable traits. This study aimed to identify and functionally characterize key genes involved in the asexual reproduction of Eucalyptus, focusing on somatic embryogenesis and dedifferentiation processes and enhance the understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying these processes to improve vegetative propagation techniques for commercial and breeding purposes.

Eucalyptus; Asexual reproduction; Somatic embryogenesis; Gene expression; Vegetative propagation