Effects of light on the accumulation of abscisic acid and expression of an early cysteine-labeled metallothionein gene in microspores ofTriticum aestivum during induced embryogenic development.

A cloned cDNA to the wheat (Triticum aestivum) early cysteine-labeled metallothionein has many characteristics of a molecular marker for pollen embryogenesis in this plant. This transcript was not detected in uninucleate microspores at the time of culture or in pollen at any stage during normal ontogeny; its mRNA did begin to increase in embryogenic microspores within 6 h of culture, peaked at around 24 h, declined, then leveled off through the 21-day-old embryoid stage. Additionally, the accumulation of the embryoid-abundant EcMt gene transcript showed a direct and positive correlation with an increase of ABA in embryogenic microspores and developing pollen embryoids. Irradiating cultures with high intensity white light or with far-red, or blue light, suppressed EcMt transcript accumulation and the ability of microspores to form embryoids; however, light did not affect ABA concentrations during the early stages of culture. These results suggest that although a promoter of pollen embryogenesis in bread wheat, ABA alone cannot maintain the sporophytic differentiation of microspores subjected to inhibitory regimes of light in vitro. Whether or not light acts directly or indirectly in suppressing EcMt gene expression and pollen embryogenesis remains unknown.