Caratterizzazione delle dinamiche di espressione dei fattori di trascrizione WOX nell'embriogenesi somatica di vite.

Cultivars of Vitis vinifera vary in their potential to form embryogenic tissues. The WUSCHEL (WUS)-related Homeobox (WOX) genes have been shown to play an important role in coordinating the gene transcription involved in the early phases of embryogenesis. We analyzed the expression dynamics of 12 VvWOX genes present in the V. vinifera genome. In order to understand the influence of WOX genes on the somatic embryogenic process we compared their expression profiles in two cultivars of V. vinifera ('Chardonnay' and 'Cabernet Sauvignon') that show different aptitude for embryogenesis. The expression of all VvWOX was influenced by culture conditions. VvWOX2 and VvWOX9 were the principal WOX genes expressed during the somatic embryogenesis process. The low aptitude for embryogenesis of 'Cabernet Sauvignon' was generally correlated with the low expression levels of these VvWOX genes. VvWOX genes appeared to be key regulators of somatic embryogenesis in grapevine and the regulation of these genes during early phases of somatic embryogenesis differed between the two cultivars of the same species.