Tissue-specific transcriptome analysis of germline specification in apomictic and sexual Boechera species.

To narrow down genes and pathways of putative importance for apomixis, and to minimize confounding effects of ploidy or species differences, we now performed a comprehensive investigation of two sexual and four apomictic Boechera accessions. We used laser-assisted microdissection combined with RNA-Seq to perform a comparative transcriptome analysis of nucellus tissues harbouring the megaspore mother cell or apomictic initial cell. This allows to study specification of the germline in a tissue-specific manner. Moreover, any relevant signalling processes involving the cells of the sporophytic nucellus can simultaneously be detected.