花粉发育的研究进展

近年来,随着现代生物学技术及分子生物学技术在花粉生物学研究领域中广泛的应用,从而使花粉发育过程中一些关键问题及其有关分子机理的研究均获得了重要进展。目前已克隆了许多与花粉发育有关的,并鉴定了一些花粉发育的突变体。本文针对花偻发育过程中的细胞质改组;胼胝质壁、淀粉粒和细胞器的动态变化;绒毡层的发育;花粉发育特异基因;以及不对称分裂和细胞命运等几个生物学问题的研究进展作了简要综述,最后还提出了一些研究展望。     

植物花粉发育miRNAs研究进展

作为一类内源性的负调控因子,植物miRNAs通过沉默靶基因或者翻译抑制来调控基因的表达。到目前为止,用高通量测序技术、miRNA微阵列技术以及实时荧光定量PCR等方法已经鉴定出许多与植物花粉发育有关的miRNAs。越来越多的证据表明,这些miRNAs选择性地存在于花粉发育的各个时期并发挥着特异的调控功能。该文对近年来花粉发育中与miRNAs相关的研究作一综述,介绍了与之相关的研究方法及参与调控花粉发育过程的miRNAs,为深入探索miRNAs调控植物花粉发育的分子机制、通过人工miRNAs技术构建作物雄性不育系以及推动杂种优势的利用提供研究策略。     

烟草花发育基因Nfbp6在花粉和胚珠形成过程中的特异表达

Nfbp6是从烟草中克隆的一种调节花发育的基因 ,与已知的C类基因有很高的同源性 .应用RNA原位杂交技术 ,对其在烟草花发育的各个阶段的表达进行了研究 .结果表明Nfbp6在花器官原基的早期分化、形成过程中有一定表达 .在后期花芽发育过程中 ,Nfbp6的转录加强 ,尤其在花粉和胚珠发育过程中表达强烈 .同时 ,Nfbp6在花柱引导组织和花药裂缝细胞、早期环式细胞簇中也有一定表达     

类伸展蛋白OsPEX1对水稻花粉育性的影响

类伸展蛋白(Leucine-Rich Repeats Extensins,LRX)是一类细胞壁嵌合蛋白,其N端包含一个LRR(leucine-rich repeats)结构域,C端含Extensins结构域。研究表明,LRX基因家族在拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)花粉萌发和花粉管生长过程中具有重要作用,而水稻(Oryza sativa L.)LRX基因家族是否在调控花粉发育方面具有保守的生物学功能尚不清楚。本研究首先进行了生物信息学分析,结果显示,水稻LRX基因家族包括8个成员,OsPEX3、OsLRX3、OsLRX5位于水稻第1号染色体;OsLRX1、OsLRX3、OsLRX2、OsPEX1和OsPEX2分别位于第2、第5、第6、第11和第12号染色体,其中OsPEX1基因在花粉中高表达,暗示OsPEX1可能参与了花粉发育调控。为此,本研究采用RNAi技术进一步研究了OsPEX1基因对花粉发育的影响。结果表明,OsPEX1基因的RNAi转基因植株花粉败育,结实率仅为10%-30%。qRT-PCR分析显示,这些RNAi转基因植株OsPEX1基因表达量显著低于野生型,而且其表达量越低花粉育性亦随之降低。上述研究结果表明,水稻OsPEX1基因是水稻花粉发育的重要基因,该基因的克隆和功能分析有助于进一步阐明水稻花粉发育调控的分子遗传学机制。     

iaaM基因在烟草花粉中的表达及其在花粉发育中的作用

试验利用花粉特异表达的启动子(Lat52)和绒毡层特异表达的启动子(TA29)引导外源生长素合成代谢基因(iaaM)在烟草花粉中表达以研究生长素在花粉发育中的作用。转Lat52-iaaM基因或转TA29-iaaM基因烟草在形态上表现出变异,如从茎上形成不定根,叶呈卷曲状等典型的生长素过量表达的性状。另外,与对照相比,转基因烟草花药中IAA水平显著增加,且植株矮化,开花期推迟,有的转基因烟草未能开花。上述现象表明:Lat52和TA29启动子的表达并不仅限于花粉或绒毡层,或者说这两个启动子的表达有些泄漏。转基因烟草的花药形状有较大的变异,早期的每个花药中花粉数明显减少,但这些花粉可被醋酸一洋红染色。所有能开花的转基因烟草均可收到种子,但收自某些转基因株系的种子不能萌发。所有这些结果表明生长素在花粉发育过程中起重要作用,过量的生长素会导致花粉发育的异常。     

棉花洞A雄性不育系花药发育的mRNA差别显示

应用cDNA-AFLP(Amplified fragment length polymorphism）技术,分析了棉花洞A雄性不育和可育材料在花药发育过程中花粉发育相关基因表达的差异。结果表明：在花药发育的相同时期,不育和可育花粉cDNA-AFLP的谱带在单核期的差异大于减数分裂期。在花粉发育过程中,花粉发育相关基因的表达具有时空特异性。共回收了64条差异cDNA片段,随机选择3个片段标记为探针,RNA斑点杂交分析表明,GHA27具有花器官组织特异性,仅在花器官中表达;GHA28、GHA47则具有花药组织特异性且仅在可育花药中表达。序列相关性比较表明：GHA27与植物ADP-ribosylation factor(ARF）基因有较高的相似性,而GHA28、GHA47与已知序列的相似性很低。     

玉米花粉特异的非编码RNA基因ZM401 cDNA全长的克隆及其发育表达模式

通过差异筛选法并结合冷噬菌斑筛选,从玉米(Zea mays L.)成熟花粉cDNA文库中克隆到一个玉米花粉特异表达的cDNA片段ZM401(663bp).Northern杂交表明ZM401是一个玉米花粉特异表达的基因.本文采用5'RACE,3'RACE及重叠PCR技术获得了ZM401 cDNA的全长(1 149 bp).采用生物学软件对ZM401 cDNA的序列和结构进行分析,结果表明,该基因缺乏明显的开放阅读框架,序列中最长的开放阅读框架仅有89个氨基酸,但具有poly(A)尾部结构,符合非编码RNA基因的特点.推断ZM401基因是一个非编码基因.RT-PCR及Northern blot分析表明ZM401基因从玉米花粉小孢子四分体时期、单核期、双核期、成熟花粉开始表达,而且表达量依次增强,证明ZM401可能与玉米花粉的晚期发育过程相关.同时,Northern杂交显示ZM401基因在玉米花粉发育中有两种转录本存在.     

拟南芥花粉活力的测定及其在花粉发育研究中的应用

花粉发育是植物生活周期中一个重要且复杂的过程,需要多种基因的参与。花粉发育是否完善可以根据花粉形态特征,并通过检测花粉的生活力、萌发力、可育性和受精能力等生理特征来判断。以拟南芥候选基因突变体为材料,通过对花粉的这些生理特征的检测,可以初步推测候选基因参与花粉发育的功能和作用机制。本文介绍了用于花粉活力测定的几种技术的原理和方法,以及应用这些方法进行花粉发育研究的进展。     

拟南芥花粉活力的测定及其在花粉发育研究中的应用

花粉发育是植物生活周期中一个重要且复杂的过程, 需要多种基因的参与。花粉发育是否完善可以根据花粉形态特征, 并通过检测花粉的生活力、萌发力、可育性和受精能力等生理特征来判断。以拟南芥候选基因突变体为材料, 通过对花粉的这些生理特征的检测, 可以初步推测候选基因参与花粉发育的功能和作用机制。本文介绍了用于花粉活力测定的几种技术的原理和方法, 以及应用这些方法进行花粉发育研究的进展。     

玉米花粉特异的非编码RNA基因ZM401 cDNA全长的克隆及其发育表达模式

通过差异筛选法并结合冷噬菌斑筛选,从玉米(Zea mays L．)成熟花粉cDNA文库中克隆到一个玉米花粉特异表达的cDNA片段ZM401(663bp)。Northern杂交表明ZM401是一个玉米花粉特异表达的基因。本文采用5′RACE,3′RACE及重叠PCR技术获得了ZM401 cDNA的全长(1149bp)。采用生物学软件对ZM401 cDNA的序列和结构进行分析,结果表明,该基因缺乏明显的开放阅读框架,序列中最长的开放阅读框架仅有89个氨基酸,但具有poly(A)尾部结构,符合非编码RNA基因的特点。推断ZM401基因是一个非编码基因。RT-PCR及Northern blot分析表明ZM401基因从玉米花粉小孢子四分体时期、单核期、双核期、成熟花粉开始表达,而且表达量依次增强,证明ZM401可能与玉米花粉的晚期发育过程相关。同时,Northern杂交显示ZM401基因在玉米花粉发育中有两种转录本存在。     

Attraction of tip-growing pollen tubes by the female gametophyte

Pollen tube guidance is the mechanism whereby the direction of pollen tube growth is controlled by female cells of the pistil. Some key genes and molecules have recently been identified as being involved in pollen tube guidance. In this review article, we discuss the molecular basis of pollen tube guidance, especially in Arabidopsis thaliana, by summarizing recent progress in various plant species. Attractant molecules and receptors for gametophytic pollen tube guidance are the focus of this article.     

Protein Electrophoresis of Single Pollen Grains of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

Electrophoresis and staining of proteins from the single pollen grains of Hibiscus rosasinensis have been developed by using general ultrathin polyacrylamide gel combined with highly-sensitive silver staining technique. The result revealed that the pollen abortion could occur in different stages of pollen development. The protein patterns varied greatly in different stages of pollen development, even in the different pollen grains in the same anther at the same development stage. Some bands exhibited a disjunction by classical Mendelian ratio 1: 1, suggesting that the gene loci were heterogeneous and the proteins were related to the expression of the genes at the early stage of pollen development.     

Gene expression during the male gametophytic phase

Abstract

In recent years a number of experimental findings have indicated that in higher plants the gametophytic phase is able to express its own genetic information, a large part of which it shares with the sporophytic generation. Quantitative estimates of haploid and haplodiploid gene expression have been obtained by mRNA and isozyme analysis in several plant species: 60-70% of the genes are expressed in both pollen and plant, about 10% are pollen-specific, and 20% represent the sporophytic domain. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that stage-specific genes are expressed in the gametophytic generation: at least two sets of genes are activated during pollen development, others are expressed only in the postshedding period, during germination and tube growth. Studies have been made to ascertain the role played by gametophyte-expressed genes in pollen development; the in vivo and in vitro pollen tube growth rate has been revealed to be controlled by the gametophyte genome itself. Differential effects of specific chromosomal deficiencies on the development of maize pollen grains have indicated that components of normal microspore development are controlled by genes located in specific parts of the genome. For single gene analysis, gene transfer can be used; on the contrary, for traits with a multifactorial genetic control, direct proof of gene expression both in the gametophytic and the sporophytic generation can be obtained when selection is applied to the pollen population of a hybrid plant, and response to selection is observed in the resulting sporophytic progeny. Response to selection, applied at different stages of the gametophytic phase, has been described in the sporophytic progeny and this with regard to many adaptive traits; thus the phenomenon can have an important bearing on the genetic structure of natural populations and on higher plant evolution, it can also be used as a breeding tool to increase the efficiency of conventional selection methods.     

Genetic analysis of female gametophyte development and function.

The female gametophyte is an absolutely essential structure for angiosperm reproduction. It produces the egg cell and central cell (which give rise to the embryo and endosperm, respectively) and mediates several reproductive processes including pollen tube guidance, fertilization, the induction of seed development, and perhaps also maternal control of embryo development. Although much has been learned about these processes at the cytological level, specific molecules mediating and controlling megagametogenesis and female gametophyte function have not been identified. A genetic approach to the identification of such molecules has been initiated in Arabidopsis and maize. Although genetic analyses are still in their infancy, mutations affecting female gametophyte function and specific steps of megagametogenesis have already been identified. Large-scale genetic screens aimed at identifying mutants affecting every step of megagametogenesis and female gametophyte function are in progress; the characterization of genes identified in these screens should go a long way toward defining the molecules that are required for female gametophyte development and function.     

Asymmetric cell division and cell fate in plants

A variety of approaches has recently been employed to investigate how sister cells adopt distinct fates following asymmetric divisions during plant development. Surgical and drug studies have been used to analyze asymmetric divisions during both early embryogenesis in brown algae and pollen development in tobacco. Genetic screens have been used to identify genes in Arabidopsis thaliana that are required for specific asymmetric cell divisions during pollen and root development. These studies indicate that cell polarity and division orientation are closely tied to the process of cell fate specification, and suggest that differential inheritance of determinants and positional information may both be involved in the specification of cell fates following asymmetric cell division.