Differential gene expression analysis of a new Ogura CMS line and its maintainer in non-heading Chinese cabbage by cDNA-AFLP

CMS is induced by the coordinated expression of certain mitochondrial and nuclear genes in flower development. Mitochondrial genes regulate manifestation of CMS, whereas nuclear genes regulate fertility phenotype and thus affect negatively. In this article, the buds of newly bred Ogura CMS of non-heading Chinese cabbage and its maintainer line as plant materials, genes differentially expressed transcripts were analyzed by cDNA-AFLP. Seventeen differently expressed genes were found in new Ogura CMS and nine genes in maintainer line. These genes were involved in energy metabolism, signal transduction, flower development, stress-related metabolism, transcription, etc. Expression patterns of three genes encoding BrCAM6, BrANK, BrTUB3 were verified by qRT-PCR in different organs and various stage flower buds of CMS and its maintainer line. The results revealed that two genes related to signal transduction, BrCAM6 and BrANK, were highly expressed in stamens and microspores of CMS than in maintainer line. As believed, these two genes involved in signal transduction of male sterile in CMS line. In comparison, BrTUB3 gene was accumulated in stamens and was expressed in significantly lower level in CMS line than in maintainer line. It expressed significantly lower in CMS than maintainer line after tetrad stage. This expression profile suggests that BrTUB3 played an important role in the development of the pollen, and may be closely related to male sterility.