Arabidopsis encyclopedia using full-length cDNAs and its application

Full-length cDNAs are essential for the functional analysis of plant genes. The information in them is essential for the prediction of transcription units from genomic sequence data. Using the biotinylated CAP trapper method, we have constructed more than ten full-length cDNA libraries from Arabidopsis thaliana plants at various stages of development under several growth conditions. We used an Arabidopsis full-length cDNA microarray for monitoring expression profiles of drought- and/or cold-inducible genes and for the discovery of target genes of a stress-related transcription factor. In this review, we summarize the present status and perspectives of the analysis of Arabidopsis full-length cDNAs, including their collection, sequencing and microarray analysis for gene expression analysis, and their application to functional and structural analysis of plant proteins.