Auxin response factor fragments cloned by cDNA-AFLP during Carya cathayensis grafting process

Key words: 
• botany /
• cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism（cDNA-AFLP） /
• Carya cathayensis （Chinese hickory） /
• grafting /
• auxin response factor （ARF）

Abstract: In order to improve survival of Carya cathayensis（Chinese hickory） grafted seedling，a cDNA fragment related to Chinese hickory graft was obtained by cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism （cDNA-AFLP）techniques during the grafting process. Analyses were conducted using the National Center for Biotechnology Information（NCBI）homology comparison and Fluorescence Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction（RT-PCR）. The NCBI homology comparison showed that a cDNA fragment，named CcARF，was 81% homologous with a wheat section of the auxin response factor（ARF）. Meanwhile，RT-PCR revealed that before grafting，gene expressions were strongly induced both in the rootstock and scion of Chinese hickory and declined sharply at 3 d after grafting. After 3 d，expression in rootstock was weakly induced. However，in the scion，7 d after grafting，expression increased reaching a maximum 14 d after grafting；this was 4.7 times stronger than 3 d after grafting. Thus，when grafting Chinese hickory，the CcARF fragment may be involved in the regulation of gene expression.[Ch，3 fig. 1 tab. 21 ref.]