mRNA changes following induction of GmWRI1 activity in Arabidopsis leaf mesophyll protoplasts

Understanding the mechanisms of transcriptional regulation for genes involved with FA biosynthesis and TAG accumulation in seeds can represent an important step in the development of crops with increased oil content. Among well studied transcription factors (TFs), WRINKLED1 (WRI1), a member of the APETALA2 (AP2) family of TFs, has been characterized as a central regulator of FA biosynthesis in seeds of many plant species. Despite its importance for the process, the detailed mechanisms of WRI1 function in regulating FA biosynthesis in seeds is still not well understood. This study aimed to characterize the gene networks controled by WRI1 during soybean embryo development and its function as central regulator of FA biosynthesis and TAG accumulation in seeds. In this part of the study, we identified genes regulated by the soybean WRI1s (GmWRI1s) by overexpressing GmWRI1-A (Glyma.08G227700) in Arabidopsis leaf mesophyll protoplasts, and identifying the mRNAs that are induced 16h after transfection. Arabidopsis mesophyll protoplasts were transfected with either 35S:GmWRI1-A or 35S:mCHERRY constructs and harvested after a 16h incubation. Three biological replicates per treatment were analyzed.