and factors, such as micro-RNA, that were involved in the
regulation of their expression (Irikova et al., 2012).
Lee et al. (2009) identified a new gene, DEG13, which
is associated with the microspore embryogenesis in
pepper and is highly expressed under high-temperature
stress. The sequence of nucleotides showed that DEG13 is
homologous with the POACT88 gene from potato (≈91%),
as well as with the alcohol dehydrogenase gene from
Arabidopsis (≈70%), both activated by stress. Two gene
sequences, PELTP and PEGST, which were expressed in
the early stages of microspore embryogenesis in pepper,
were identified. PELTP is highly homologous with the LTP
of pepper and PEGST with the GST gene of pepper (98%
and 99%, respectively). The authors presume that the two
genes may play an important role in the early stages of
pepper microspore embryogenesis (Zhang et al., 2008).
Knowing the genes responsible for the initiation of
androgenesis in microspores cultured in vitro and the
factors that control the processes and stages of direct
embryogenesis could help create efficient embryogenic
anther culture in a number of plant species, including
pepper.