Identification of Physcomitrella patens genes specific of bud and gametophore formation

The simple morphology and ease of gene knockout makes the moss Physcomitrella patens an attractive model for studies in plant physiology and developmental biology. In this study, we looked for genes expressed during bud formation, an essential step during moss development. Differential expression of genes was analyzed during bud formation, in response to cytokinin, using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH). Six genes expressed during bud formation were identified. Their expression during the time course of bud development, at the gametophore stage, and in mutants defective in bud formation was characterized using semi-quantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR analysis.