Creating Completely Both Male and Female Sterile Plants by Specifically Ablating Microspore and Megaspore Mother Cells.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Huang J
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4740954 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:In most plants, the female germline starts with the differentiation of one megaspore mother cell (MMC) in each ovule that produces four megaspores through meiosis, one of which survives to become the functional megaspore (FM). The FM further develops into an embryo sac. Little is known regarding the control of MMC formation to one per ovule and the selective survival of the FM. The ICK/KRPs (interactor/inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)/Kip-related proteins) are plant CDK inhibitors and cell cycle regulators. Here we report that in the ovules of Arabidopsis mutant with all seven ICK/KRP genes inactivated, supernumerary MMCs, FMs and embryo sacs were formed and the two embryo sacs could be fertilized to form two embryos with separate endosperm compartments. Twin seedlings were observed in about 2% seeds. Further, in the mutant ovules the number and position of surviving megaspores from one MMC were variable, indicating that the positional signal for determining the survival of megaspore was affected. Strikingly, ICK4 fusion protein with yellow fluorescence protein was strongly present in the degenerative megaspores but absent in the FM, suggesting an important role of ICKs in the degeneration of non-functional megaspores. The absence of or much weaker phenotypes in lower orders of mutants and complementation of the septuple mutant by ICK4 or ICK7 indicate that multiple ICK/KRPs function redundantly in restricting the formation of more than one MMC and in the selective survival of FM, which are critical to ensure the development of one embryo sac and one embryo per ovule.
| S-EPMC5858843 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Male sterility is an important trait in hybrid crop breeding. Thermo-sensitive genic male sterility (TGMS) lines, which are male-sterile at restrictive (high) temperatures but convert to male-fertile at permissive (low) temperatures, have been widely utilized in two-line hybrid rice breeding. However, the molecular mechanism underlying TGMS remains unclear. Here we show that the rice (Oryza sativa L.) thermo-sensitive genic male sterile gene 5 (tms5) locus, which in 2010 was present in cultivars occupying more than 71% (2.3 million hectares) of two-line hybrid rice-growing land in China, confers the TGMS trait through a loss-of-function mutation of RNase ZS1, resulting in failure to mediate mRNA decay of three temperature-responsive ubiquitin fusion ribosomal protein L40 genes (UbL40) genes. RNase ZS1, a member of the evolutionarily conserved endonuclease, processed tRNAs in vitro, but does not do so in vivo due to its localization in the cytoplasm. Defective RNase ZS1 in tms5 plants leads to over-accumulation of UbL401, UbL402 and UbL404 mRNAs at restrictive but not permissive temperatures. Over-expression of UbL401 and UbL404 in wild-type plants caused male sterility, whereas knockdown of UbL401 and UbL404 in tms5 plants partially restored the male fertility at restrictive temperatures. Our results uncover a novel mechanism of RNase ZS1-mediated UbL40 mRNA decay which controls TGMS in rice and has potential applications not only of rice but also of other crops.
2016-08-01 | GSE42367 | GEO
Project description:Germ line specification is a crucial step in the life cycle of all organisms. For sexual plant reproduction, the megaspore mother cell (MMC) is of crucial importance: it marks the first cell of the plant "germline" lineage that gets committed to undergo meiosis. One of the meiotic products, the functional megaspore, subsequently gives rise to the haploid, multicellular female gametophyte that harbours the female gametes. The MMC is formed by selection and differentiation of a single somatic, sub-epidermal cell in the ovule. The transcriptional network underlying MMC specification and differentiation is largely unknown. We provide the first transcriptome analysis of an MMC using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana with a combination of laser-assisted microdissection and microarray hybridizations. Statistical analyses identified an over-representation of translational regulation control pathways and a significant enrichment of DEAD/DEAH-box helicases in the MMC transcriptome, paralleling important features of the animal germline. Analysis of two independent T-DNA insertion lines suggests an important role of an enriched helicase, MNEME (MEM), in MMC differentiation and the restriction of the germline fate to only one cell per ovule primordium. In heterozygous mem mutants, additional enlarged MMC-like cells, which sometimes initiate female gametophyte development, were observed at higher frequencies than in the wild type. This closely resembles the phenotype of mutants affected in the small RNA and DNA-methylation pathways important for epigenetic regulation. Importantly, the mem phenotype shows features of apospory, as female gametophytes initiate from two non-sister cells in these mutants. Moreover, in mem gametophytic nuclei, both higher order chromatin structure and the distribution of LIKE HETEROCHROMATIN PROTEIN1 were affected, indicating epigenetic perturbations. In summary, the MMC transcriptome sets the stage for future functional characterization as illustrated by the identification of MEM, a novel gene involved in the restriction of germline fate.
| S-EPMC3176755 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Male sterility is an important trait in hybrid crop breeding. Thermo-sensitive genic male sterility (TGMS) lines, which are male-sterile at restrictive (high) temperatures but convert to male-fertile at permissive (low) temperatures, have been widely utilized in two-line hybrid rice breeding. However, the molecular mechanism underlying TGMS remains unclear. Here we show that the rice (Oryza sativa L.) thermo-sensitive genic male sterile gene 5 (tms5) locus, which in 2010 was present in cultivars occupying more than 71% (2.3 million hectares) of two-line hybrid rice-growing land in China, confers the TGMS trait through a loss-of-function mutation of RNase ZS1, resulting in failure to mediate mRNA decay of three temperature-responsive ubiquitin fusion ribosomal protein L40 genes (UbL40) genes. RNase ZS1, a member of the evolutionarily conserved endonuclease, processed tRNAs in vitro, but does not do so in vivo due to its localization in the cytoplasm. Defective RNase ZS1 in tms5 plants leads to over-accumulation of UbL401, UbL402 and UbL404 mRNAs at restrictive but not permissive temperatures. Over-expression of UbL401 and UbL404 in wild-type plants caused male sterility, whereas knockdown of UbL401 and UbL404 in tms5 plants partially restored the male fertility at restrictive temperatures. Our results uncover a novel mechanism of RNase ZS1-mediated UbL40 mRNA decay which controls TGMS in rice and has potential applications not only of rice but also of other crops. To address whether RNase ZS1 involves in mRNA metabolism, whole-genome microarray was performed using RNA from young panicles of wild type (AnN and ZH11) and tms5 (AnS-1 and Os02g12290iL1) plants grown at permissive and restrictive temperatures.
2016-08-01 | E-GEOD-42367 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Pectin modification and degradation are vital for plant development, although the underlying mechanisms are still not well understood. Furthermore, reports on the function of pectin in early pollen development are limited. We generated OsPME-FOX rice lines with little methyl-esterified pectin even in the early-pollen mother-cell stage due to overexpression of the gene encoding pectin-methylesterase. Overexpression of OsPME1 in rice increased the activity of PME, which decreased the degree of pectin methyl esterification in the cell wall. OsPME1-FOX grew normally and showed abnormal phenotypes in anther and pollen development, especially in terms of the pollen mother-cell stage. In addition, we examined modifications of cell-wall polysaccharides at the cellular level using antibodies against polysaccharides. Immunohistochemical staining using LM19 and LM20 showed that methyl-esterified pectin distribution and the pectin contents in pollen mother-cell wall decreased in OsPME1-FOX compared with the wild type. Thus, the maintenance of methyl-esterified pectin plays a role in degrading and maintaining the pollen mother-cell wall during microspore development.
| S-EPMC10142773 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Male sterility is a valuable trait for genetic research and production application of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). NWMS1, a novel typical genic male sterility mutant, was obtained from Shengnong 1, mutagenized with ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS). Microstructure and ultrastructure observations of the anthers and microspores indicated that the pollen abortion of NWMS1 started at the early uninucleate microspore stage. Pollen grain collapse, plasmolysis, and absent starch grains were the three typical characteristics of the abnormal microspores. The anther transcriptomes of NWMS1 and its wild type Shengnong 1 were compared at the early anther development stage, pollen mother cell meiotic stage, and binucleate microspore stage. Several biological pathways clearly involved in abnormal anther development were identified, including protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, starch and sucrose metabolism, lipid metabolism, and plant hormone signal transduction. There were 20 key genes involved in the abnormal anther development, screened out by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), including SKP1B, BIP5, KCS11, ADH3, BGLU6, and TIFY10B. The results indicated that the defect in starch and sucrose metabolism was the most important factor causing male sterility in NWMS1. Based on the experimental data, a primary molecular regulation model of abnormal anther and pollen developments in mutant NWMS1 was established. These results laid a solid foundation for further research on the molecular mechanism of wheat male sterility.
| S-EPMC6940770 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe anther cuticle, which is primarily composed of lipid polymers, is crucial for pollen development and plays important roles in sexual reproduction in higher plants. However, the mechanism underlying the biosynthesis of lipid polymers in maize (Zea mays. L.) remains unclear.ResultsHere, we report that the maize male-sterile mutant shrinking anther 1 (sa1), which is allelic to the classic mutant male sterile 33 (ms33), displays defective anther cuticle development and premature microspore degradation. We isolated MS33 via map-based cloning. MS33 encodes a putative glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase and is preferentially expressed in tapetal cells during anther development. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed a substantial reduction in wax and cutin in ms33 anthers compared to wild type. Accordingly, RNA-sequencing analysis showed that many genes involved in wax and cutin biosynthesis are differentially expressed in ms33 compared to wild type.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that MS33 may contribute to anther cuticle and microspore development by affecting lipid polyester biosynthesis in maize.
| S-EPMC6276174 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Pelargonium is one of the most popular garden plants in the world. Moreover, it has a considerable economic importance in the ornamental plant market. Conventional cross-breeding strategies have generated a range of cultivars with excellent traits. However, gene transfer via Agrobacterium tumefaciens could be a helpful tool to further improve Pelargonium by enabling the introduction of new genes/traits. We report a simple and reliable protocol for the genetic transformation of Pelargonium spp. and the production of engineered long-life and male sterile Pelargonium zonale plants, using the pSAG12::ipt and PsEND1::barnase chimaeric genes respectively.The pSAG12::ipt transgenic plants showed delayed leaf senescence, increased branching and reduced internodal length, as compared to control plants. Leaves and flowers of the pSAG12::ipt plants were reduced in size and displayed a more intense coloration. In the transgenic lines carrying the PsEND1::barnase construct no pollen grains were observed in the modified anther structures, which developed instead of normal anthers. The locules of sterile anthers collapsed 3-4?days prior to floral anthesis and, in most cases, the undeveloped anther tissues underwent necrosis.The chimaeric construct pSAG12::ipt can be useful in Pelargonium spp. to delay the senescence process and to modify plant architecture. In addition, the use of engineered male sterile plants would be especially useful to produce environmentally friendly transgenic plants carrying new traits by preventing gene flow between the genetically modified ornamentals and related plant species. These characteristics could be of interest, from a commercial point of view, both for pelargonium producers and consumers.
| S-EPMC3492168 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background and Aims Flooding imposes stress upon terrestrial plants because it results in oxygen deficiency, which is considered a major problem for submerged plants. A common response of terrestrial plants to flooding is the formation of aquatic adventitious roots. Some studies have shown that adventitious roots on submerged plants are capable of absorbing water and nutrients. However, there is no experimental evidence for the possible oxygen uptake function of adventitious roots or for how important this function might be for the survival of plants during prolonged submergence. This study aims to investigate whether adventitious roots absorb oxygen from the water column, and whether this new function is beneficial to the survival of completely submerged plants. Methods Taking Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb. as a representative species, the profiling of the underwater oxygen gradient towards living and dead adventitious roots on completely submerged plants was conducted, the oxygen concentration in stem nodes with and without adventitious roots was measured, and the growth, survival and non-structural carbohydrate content of completely submerged plants with and without adventitious roots was investigated. Key Results Oxygen profiles in the water column of adventitious roots showed that adventitious roots absorbed oxygen from water. It is found that the oxygen concentration in stem nodes having adventitious roots was higher than that in stem nodes without adventitious roots, which implies that the oxygen absorbed by adventitious roots from water was subsequently transported from the roots to other plant tissues. Compared with plants whose adventitious roots had been pruned, those with intact adventitious roots had slower leaf shedding, slower plant mass reduction, more efficient carbohydrate economy and prolonged survival when completely submerged. Conclusions The adventitious roots of A. philoxeroides formed upon submergence can absorb oxygen from ambient water, thereby alleviating the adverse effects of oxygen deficiency, enabling efficient utilization of carbohydrates and delaying the death of completely submerged plants.
| S-EPMC5055620 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Malaria infection starts when sporozoites are transmitted to the mammalian host during a mosquito bite. Sporozoites enter the blood circulation, reach the liver, and infect hepatocytes. The formation of a parasitophorous vacuole (PV) establishes their intracellular niche. Recently, two members of the 6-Cys domain protein family, P52 and P36, were each shown to play an important albeit nonessential role in Plasmodium berghei sporozoite infectivity for the rodent host. Here, we generated p52/p36-deficient Plasmodium yoelii parasites by the simultaneous deletion of both genes using a single genetic manipulation. p52/p36-deficient parasites exhibited normal progression through the life cycle during blood-stage infection, transmission to mosquitoes, mosquito-stage development, and sporozoite infection of the salivary glands. p52/p36-deficient sporozoites also showed normal motility and cell traversal activity. However, immunofluorescence analysis and electron microscopic observations revealed that p52/p36-deficient parasites did not form a PV within hepatocytes in vitro and in vivo. The p52/p36-deficient parasites localized as free entities in the host cell cytoplasm or the host cell nucleoplasm and did not develop as liver stages. Consequently, they did not cause blood-stage infections even at high sporozoite inoculation doses. Mice immunized with p52/p36-deficient sporozoites were completely protected against infectious sporozoite challenge. Our results demonstrate for the first time the generation of two-locus gene deletion-attenuated parasites that infect the liver but do not progress to blood-stage infection. The study will critically guide the design of Plasmodium falciparum live attenuated malaria vaccines.
| S-EPMC1951999 | biostudies-literature