| Polyamines are low molecular weight, aliphatic cationic molecules playing a vital role in all cellular and physiological processes such as cell growth, differentiation, abiotic stress, and somatic embryogenesis. The present study is aimed at unraveling their role during floral development in Arabidopsis thaliana by studying the temporal and spatial expression of ADC2 and SAMDC1 genes by promoter-reporter fusion analysis, and by the transgenic expression of mouse ODC and carrot SAMDC under tissue specific promoters AP1 and AP3, respectively. The expression of SAMDC1 was found to be prominent during different stages of development and in different whorls of flowers whereas ADC2 expression was almost undetectable in all stages and in various whorls. The heterologous expression of mouse ODC and carrot SAMDC under the control of tissue specific promoters AP1 and AP3 resulted in altered polyamine levels leading to abnormalities like delayed flowering, bolting, abnormal sepal formation and a reduction in stamen number. |
