Molecular cloning and characterization of a CLAVATA1-LIKE gene in Pinus pinaster and Pinus pinea is reported. CLAVATA1 is a well-characterized gene in Arabidopsis integral to the balance between primordial differentiation and meristem proliferation. Currently, it is not known if the Arabidopsis model of in vitro caulogenesis is applicable to conifers. In this work, we study the putative role of the CLAVATA1-LIKE gene during caulogenic induction in cotyledons of P. pinea and P. pinaster after exposure to benzyladenine. Expression analysis showed that the gene was differentially expressed during the first phases of adventitious caulogenesis in cotyledons from both species, suggesting that CLAVATA1-LIKE may play a role in caulogenesis in conifers. A binary vector carrying CLAVATA1-LIKE promoter driven GFP:GUS expression was constructed. Results of genetic transformation showed GUS activity during somatic embryogenic mass proliferation and embryo maturation. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.
