Patatin and four serine proteinase inhibitor genes are differentially expressed during potato tuber development.

A highly efficient and synchronous in vitro tuberization system is described. One-node stem pieces from potato (Solanum tuberosum cv. Bintje) plants grown under short day-light conditions containing an axillary bud were cultured in the dark on a tuber-inducing medium. After 5 or 6 days all axillary buds started to develop tubers. To study gene expression during tuber development, RNA isolated from tuberizing axillary buds was used for both in vitro translation and northern blot hybridizations. The genes encoding the proteinase inhibitors I and II (PI-I and PI-II), a Kunitz- and a Bowman-Birk-type proteinase inhibitor were already expressed in uninduced axillary buds. The length of the day-light conditions differently influenced the expression level of the individual genes. In addition, the expression of each of these genes changed specifically during the development of the axillary bud to tuber. In contrast to the expression of these proteinase inhibitor genes, patatin gene expression was only detectable from the day tuberization was manifested as a radial expansion of the axillary bud. These results are discussed with respect to the regulation of the expression of the genes studied in relation to the regulation of tuber development.