Analysis of telomere length during the organogenesis induction of Agave fourcroydes Lem and Agave tequilana Weber

Changes in telomere length (shortening and lengthening) have been associated with age, loss of cell replication, and the number of times that a cell can be divided. In this study, we observed telomere length dynamics during organogenesis induction in agaves (A. fourcroydes and A. tequilana) using parental material derived from plants adapted of ex vitro conditions during 3 years. The results showed that telomere length dynamics vary between species, but showing an increase in comparison with the parental material. A. fourcroydes showed higher changes throughout the induction process (22.8-50.8 kb), whereas A. tequilana showed a more discreet variation (27.8-37.9 kb). In addition, characterization of the parental material showed different values on telomere length. To our knowledge this is the first report of telomeric variation during the organogenesis induction process in agaves. This study demonstrated that telomere length gradually increases during organogenesis in Agave tequilana and A. fourcroydes.