Isolation and identification of the genes inducing bulb formation in bulbous plants

Conditions for controlling bulb formation and non-bulb formation in hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis) and lily (Lilium speciosum) were established. Under the bulb forming conditions, eight specific fragments were expressed and nine were suppressed in both species. The DNA sequence of the two fragments, one fragment of 1,000 bp amplified with a primer OPA-08 found in 5C treated and in 25C+ABA treated hyacinth, and another fragment of 500bp amplified with a primer OPA-19 found in 25C+ABA treated lily, showed 98% homology These are considered to be the possible genes that control bulb formation. Isolation of CIPK3 gene in lily was conducted by degenerative PCR. A fragment of CIPK3 cDNA of 675bp was obtained and it shouwed 65-71% homology with those of six species used for the preparation of degenerate primers. Two types of Allium scjoenoprasum, one is genetically bulb forming type and the other is genetically non-bulb forming type were used for crossing to obtain F_1 and BC_1 plants. In vitro culture system was established for early identification of bulb formation of the plants. RAPD analysis using 100 random primers was applied to the bulked plants, one for bulb forming group and the other for non bulb forming group that were separated in BC_1 progenies. No specific markers were obtained.