Identification of genes specifically expressed in cauliflower reproductivemeristems. Molecular characterization of BoREM1

Using the meristems of the cauliflower curd as a source of tissue and a ser ies of subtractive hybridizations and amplification reactions, we have cons tructed a cDNA library highly enriched in cDNAs expressed in reproductive m eristems. The analysis of a sample of 250 clones from this library identifi ed 22 cDNA clones corresponding to genes specifically expressed in these ca uliflower meristems. Apart from two clones that corresponded to APETALA1, a nd two other ones showing similarity to different aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase s, the remaining clones showed no similarity to any sequence in the databas es and may correspond to novel genes. One of these clones, BoREM1, was furt her characterized and found to correspond to a gene encoding a protein with features of regulatory proteins that follows a expression pattern very sim ilar to the LEAFY transcripts.