Transcripts of a gene, encoding a small GTP-binding protein from Fagus sylvatica, are induced by ABA and accumulated in the embryonic axis of dormant seeds.

A cDNA clone was selected from a cDNA library constructed using mRNA from ABA-treated Fagus sylvatica L dormant seeds as a template. The clone is highly expressed in the presence of ABA and tends to disappear in stratified seeds. A search of sequence databases showed that the clone encodes a small GTP-binding protein. By means of in situ hybridization, the mRNA has been located in the apical meristem of the embryonic axis and in the central vascular cylinder. Its possible involvement in growth regulation in the embryonic axis of F. sylvatica is discussed.