Cell Type-Specific Transcriptomics in the Plant Embryo Using an Adapted INTACT Protocol

Measurement of Flower Metabolite Concentrations Using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

Metabolite profiling aiming at quantifying the metabolome of flowers is emerging as a suitable tool to understand the metabolic complexity of these reproductive organs and the associations between primary and secondary metabolites which characterize them. This chapter provides a general method for the combined analyses of primary and secondary metabolites via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) of flower samples. We describe the preparatory steps, the procedure of metabolites' extraction and finally provide examples of data representation. The method described here can be applied to the analysis of metabolomes of entire flowers, as well as specific flower organs.

Research Tools for the Functional Genomics of Plant miRNAs During Zygotic and Somatic Embryogenesis

During early plant embryogenesis, some of the most fundamental decisions on fate and identity are taken making it a fascinating process to study. It is no surprise that higher plant embryogenesis was intensively analysed during the last century, while somatic embryogenesis is probably the most studied regeneration model. Encoded by the MIRNA, short, single-stranded, non-coding miRNAs, are commonly present in all Eukaryotic genomes and are involved in the regulation of the gene expression during the essential developmental processes such as plant morphogenesis, hormone signaling, and developmental phase transition. During the last few years dedicated to miRNAs, analytical methods and tools have been developed, which have afforded new opportunities in functional analyses of plant miRNAs, including (i) databases for in silico analysis; (ii) miRNAs detection and expression approaches; (iii) reporter and sensor lines for a spatio-temporal analysis of the miRNA-target interactions; (iv) in situ hybridisation protocols; (v) artificial miRNAs; (vi) MIM and STTM lines to inhibit miRNA activity, and (vii) the target genes resistant to miRNA. Here, we attempted to summarise the toolbox for functional analysis of miRNAs during plant embryogenesis. In addition to characterising the described tools/methods, examples of the applications have been presented.