Arabidopsis microarrays identify conserved and differentially expressed genes involved in shoot growth and development from distantly related plant species.

Expressed sequence tags (EST)-based microarrays are powerful tools for gene discovery and signal transduction studies in a small number of well-characterized species. To explore the usefulness of this technique for poorly characterized species, we have hybridized the 11,522-element Arabidopsis microarrays with labeled cDNAs from mature leaf and shoot apices from several different species. Expression of 23 to 47% of the genes on the array was detected, demonstrating that a large number of genes from distantly related species can be surveyed on Arabidopsis arrays. Differential expression of genes with known functions was indicative of the physiological state of the tissues tested. Genes involved in cell division, stress responses, and development were conserved and expressed preferentially in growing shoots.