Abstract

Gibberellins (GAs) are a large family of endogenous plant growth regulators. Bioactive GAs influence nearly all processes during plant growth and development. In the present study, we cloned and identified 10 unique genes that are potentially involved in the biosynthesis of GAs, including one BpGGDP gene, two BpCPSgenes, one BpKS gene, two BpKO genes, three BpGA20ox genes and oneBpGA2ox gene. The temporal expression of these 10 genes in birch was analyzed during a one-year growth cycle by real time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results show that their expression patterns were individually distinct throughout the one-year growth cycle. Three BpGA20ox genes, which are potential limiting factors of bioactive GA biosynthesis, displayed differential expression patterns during the course of the experiment. This study provides insights into the roles of genes involved in the biosynthesis of GAs during the early development of birch.

Key words: Betula platyphylla Suk, gene expression, gibberellins, real time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).