Abstract: The mRNA differential display technique（DDRT）was used to identify the differentially expressed cDNA fragments during chilling-induced release of dormancy in buds of Prunus pseudocerasus Lindl.‘Duanbing’. Seventy-nine differentially expressed fragments were initially identified by DDRT， and among which，18 of them were confirmed as true differentially expressed genes using semiquantitative RT-PCR. Out of these 18 differentially expressed genes，11 were up-regulated and 7 were down-regulated，respectively，during the release of dormancy. Gene ontology analysis indicated that the differentially expressed genes are mostly involved in the processes of glycometabolism ， signal transduction，trans-membrane transport，and oxidation-reduction reactions. The results suggest that these genes may somehow contribute to the release of dormancy，either directly or indirectly，in Prunus pseudocerasus Lindl.‘Duanbing’.

Key words: Prunus pseudocerasus, dormancy, gene, mRNA differential display, semi-quantitative RT-PCR