Characterization of gene expression profile in developing soybean seeds by DNA microarray

Gene expression profiles in soybean seeds at 4 developmental stages, pod, bean 2 mm, bean 5 mm, and full-sized bean, were examined by DNA microarray analysis. Total genes of each samples were classified into 4 clusters according to developmental stages. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were extracted by comparing their expression in two adjacent stages, by using the rank product method. To characterize the gene expression during seed development, DEGs were sorted into 8 clusters by the hclust function, according to gene expression patterns. Keywords: time course Soybean seeds were selected at successive stages of early development for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays. We sought to obtain transitional changes in gene expression during seed develpment.