拟南芥温度诱导脂质运载蛋白TIL1参与雌配子体发育

雌配子体的正常发育是种子形成的前提条件之一,拟南芥温度诱导的脂质运载蛋白编码基因TIL1突变使胚珠败育,结实率下降明显。基因表达分析表明T-DNA插入使得TIL1基因敲除,突变体TIL1基因功能缺失;互交实验、Alexander染色、花粉离体培养和胚珠透明实验结果表明till-1突变体雄配子体发育正常、雌配子体胚囊发育有缺陷;通过遗传互补实验证明外源克隆的TIL1基因能恢复突变体的败育表型,并确定了TIL1基因主要在胚珠的胚囊中表达。实验结果表明TIL1基因参与了植物雌配子体发育这一重要的生理过程。     

麝香百合LLGLO1基因的克隆和表达

用RACE方法克隆的麝香百合花发育的GLOBOSA（GLO）类B功能基因LLGLO1,与其他多种单子叶植物的GLO类基因高度同源,且C区具有典型的PI结构基序。通过RT—PCR检测,百合不同组织中的LLGLO1基因表达模式与郁金香的GLO类基因相似。即主要集中在百合第一、二、三轮花器官中表达,心皮和茎中有微量表达,而且随着心皮的成熟,其在心皮中的表达量逐渐增加,但在百合叶片中则未检测到LLGLO1的表达,因此认为LLGLO1在百合花器官中呈特异性表达。LLGLO1在百合第一轮花器官中的表达支持了van Tunen对ABC模型的修正。     

Maternal Control of PIN1 Is Required for Female Gametophyte Development in Arabidopsis

Land plants are characterised by haplo-diploid life cycles, and developing ovules are the organs in which the haploid and diploid generations coexist. Recently it has been shown that hormones such as auxin and cytokinins play important roles in ovule development and patterning. The establishment and regulation of auxin levels in cells is predominantly determined by the activity of the auxin efflux carrier proteins PIN-FORMED (PIN). To study the roles of PIN1 and PIN3 during ovule development we have used mutant alleles of both genes and also perturbed PIN1 and PIN3 expression using micro-RNAs controlled by the ovule specific DEFH9 (DEFIFICENS Homologue 9) promoter. PIN1 down-regulation and pin1-5 mutation severely affect female gametophyte development since embryo sacs arrest at the mono- and/or bi-nuclear stages (FG1 and FG3 stage). PIN3 function is not required for ovule development in wild-type or PIN1-silenced plants. We show that sporophytically expressed PIN1 is required for megagametogenesis, suggesting that sporophytic auxin flux might control the early stages of female gametophyte development, although auxin response is not visible in developing embryo sacs.     

Protein Interaction Network of Arabidopsis thaliana Female Gametophyte Development Identifies Novel Proteins and Relations

Although the female gametophyte in angiosperms consists of just seven cells, it has a complex biological network. In this study, female gametophyte microarray data from Arabidopsis thaliana were integrated into the Arabidopsis interactome database to generate a putative interaction map of the female gametophyte development including proteome map based on biological processes and molecular functions of proteins. Biological and functional groups as well as topological characteristics of the network were investigated by analyzing phytohormones, plant defense, cell death, transporters, regulatory factors, and hydrolases. This approach led to the prediction of critical members and bottlenecks of the network. Seventy-four and 24 upregulated genes as well as 171 and 3 downregulated genes were identified in subtracted networks based on biological processes and molecular function respectively, including novel genes such as the pathogenesis-related protein 4, ER type Ca²⁺ ATPase 3, dihydroflavonol reductase, and ATP disulfate isomerase. Biologically important relationships between genes, critical nodes, and new essential proteins such as AT1G26830, AT5G20850, CYP74A, AT1G42396, PR4 and MEA were found in the interactome''s network. The positions of novel genes, both upregulated and downregulated, and their relationships with biological pathways, in particular phytohormones, were highlighted in this study.     

小盐芥大孢子发生和雌配子体发育

本论文研究了小盐芥（Thellungiella halophila）大孢子发生和雌配子体发育过程及该阶段与花蕾、花、果实外部形态的相关性。结果如下：小盐芥雌蕊由2心皮组成,侧膜胎座,每室胚珠多数,弯生,双珠被,薄珠心。孢原细胞位于珠心表皮之下,直接起大孢子母细胞的功能。大孢子四分体线形排列,合点端大孢子为功能大孢子,胚囊发育为蓼型。     

风信子HoMADS2基因的克隆及表达分析

利用同源克隆策略,从风信子中分离出一个MADS box基因,命名为HoMADS2。序列比较分析表明,HoMADS2与B类MADS box蛋白具有较高的同源性。分子进化树分析显示,HoMADS2与PI家族类聚在一起。同时,在HoMADS2的Kbox和C末端区域均具有PI家族的特征序列。以上序列分析结果表明,HOMADS2可能是尸,的一个同源基因。RNA分子杂交结果显示,HoMADS2在四轮花器官中均表达,其表达模式不同于双子叶植物中尸,同源基因。利用风信子离体花器官再生系统研究表明,HoMADS2在再生花芽中的表达不同于HoMADS1和HAG1,该基因在再生花芽发育过程中组成型表达,不受外源细胞分裂素和生长素的影响。     

Arabinan Metabolism during Seed Development and Germination in Arabidopsis

Arabinans are found in the pectic network of many cell walls, where, along with galactan, they are present as side chains of Rhamnogalacturonan I. Whilst arabinans have been reported to be abundant polymers in the cell walls of seeds from a range of plant species, their proposed role as a storage reserve has not been thoroughly investigated. In the cell walls of Arabidopsis seeds, arabinose accounts for approximately 40% of the monosaccharide composition of non- cellulosic polysaccharides of embryos. Arabinose levels decline to -15% during seedling establishment, indicating that cell wall arabinans may be mobilized during germination. Immunolocalization of arabinan in embryos, seeds, and seedlings reveals that arabinans accumulate in developing and mature embryos, but disappear during germination and seedling establishment. Experiments using 14C-arabinose show that it is readily incorporated and metabolized in growing seedlings, indicating an active catabolic pathway for this sugar. We found that depleting arabinans in seeds using a fungal arabinanase causes delayed seedling growth, lending support to the hypothesis that these polymers may help fuel early seedling growth.     

青阳参的大孢子发生与雌配子体发育

利用常规石蜡制片技术、荧光显微技术、光镜细胞化学技术、电子显微镜技术对青阳参大孢子发生、雌配子体形成过程进行了详细观察。结果显示,青阳参为边缘胎座,胚珠倒生、短珠柄,单珠被,薄珠心型,珠心细胞含有大量的淀粉粒、线粒体和内质网等;大孢子孢原细胞起源于下表皮并直接行使大孢子母细胞的功能;合点端的大孢子分裂形成8-核胚囊;蓼型胚囊;成熟胚囊中有大量淀粉粒;珠孔受精;胚乳在早期发育阶段以游离核形式存在,约在16~32核的阶段细胞壁形成,通常情况下胚乳核的分裂比合子的分裂早,成熟胚乳细胞单核、形状不规则,没有胚乳吸器;胚的发育经过原胚、球型胚和心型胚阶段,茄型;成熟的种子具有种毛,位于珠孔端的珠被表皮细胞是种毛长出的区域,种子中含有大量的脂肪。     

Functional Conservation of MIKC*-Type MADS Box Genes in Arabidopsis and Rice Pollen Maturation

There are two groups of MADS intervening keratin-like and C-terminal (MIKC)-type MADS box genes, MIKC^C type and MIKC* type. In seed plants, the MIKC^C type shows considerable diversity, but the MIKC* type has only two subgroups, P- and S-clade, which show conserved expression in the gametophyte. To examine the functional conservation of MIKC*-type genes, we characterized all three rice (Oryza sativa) MIKC*-type genes. All three genes are specifically expressed late in pollen development. The single knockdown or knockout lines, respectively, of the S-clade MADS62 and MADS63 did not show a mutant phenotype, but lines in which both S-clade genes were affected showed severe defects in pollen maturation and germination, as did knockdown lines of MADS68, the only P-clade gene in rice. The rice MIKC*-type proteins form strong heterodimeric complexes solely with partners from the other subclade; these complexes specifically bind to N10-type C-A-rich-G-boxes in vitro and regulate downstream gene expression by binding to N10-type promoter motifs. The rice MIKC* genes have a much lower degree of functional redundancy than the Arabidopsis thaliana MIKC* genes. Nevertheless, our data indicate that the function of heterodimeric MIKC*-type protein complexes in pollen development has been conserved since the divergence of monocots and eudicots, roughly 150 million years ago.     

Requirement for Abasic Endonuclease Gene Homologues in Arabidopsis Seed Development

Arabidopsis thaliana has three genes, Ape1L, Ape2, and Arp, that show homology to abasic (apurinic/apyrimidinic) endonuclease genes of bacterial, yeast, or animal cells. In bacteria, yeast, and animals, abasic endonucleases function in base excision repair of oxidized and other modified DNA bases. Here we report that plants with knock-out mutations in any one of Ape1L, Ape2, or Arp show no apparent differences from wild type in growth rate, growth habit, and fertility. However, coincident knock-out mutations in Ape1L and Ape2 are lethal and lead to abortion of developing embryos. Mutations of Arp are not deleterious, even in combination with one of the other two mutations. The results are consistent with the interpretation that the process of base excision repair, involving at least one intact copy of Ape1L or Ape2, is required in the process of embryogenesis.     

粉叶小檗大孢子发生和雌配子体形成

采用石蜡切片方法对粉叶小檗（Berberis pruinosa Franch.)的大孢子发生和雌配子体形成过程进行了研究。主要结果如下：雌蕊1枚,子房单心皮,边缘胎座,2枚胚珠倒生,具双珠被,厚珠心,珠孔由内外两层珠被共同形成,呈“Z”字形;单孢原,位于珠心表皮下;直线形大孢子四分体,合点端的1个大孢子发育为功能大孢子,胚囊发育类型为蓼型;成熟胚囊中,2个极核在受精前融合为次生核;3个反足细胞不发达,较早退化;"品"字形卵器,其中助细胞发达且具丝状器。     

Auxin Import and Local Auxin Biosynthesis Are Required for Mitotic Divisions,Cell Expansion and Cell Specification during Female Gametophyte Development in Arabidopsis thaliana

The female gametophyte of flowering plants, called the embryo sac, develops from a haploid cell named the functional megaspore, which is specified after meiosis by the diploid sporophyte. In Arabidopsis, the functional megaspore undergoes three syncitial mitotic divisions followed by cellularization to form seven cells of four cell types including two female gametes. The plant hormone auxin is important for sporophytic developmental processes, and auxin levels are known to be regulated by biosynthesis and transport. Here, we investigated the role of auxin biosynthetic genes and auxin influx carriers in embryo sac development. We find that genes from the YUCCA/TAA pathway (YUC1, YUC2, YUC8, TAA1, TAR2) are expressed asymmetrically in the developing ovule and embryo sac from the two-nuclear syncitial stage until cellularization. Mutants for YUC1 and YUC2 exhibited defects in cell specification, whereas mutations in YUC8, as well as mutations in TAA1 and TAR2, caused defects in nuclear proliferation, vacuole formation and anisotropic growth of the embryo sac. Additionally, expression of the auxin influx carriers AUX1 and LAX1 were observed at the micropylar pole of the embryo sac and in the adjacent cells of the ovule, and the aux1 lax1 lax2 triple mutant shows multiple gametophyte defects. These results indicate that both localized auxin biosynthesis and auxin import, are required for mitotic divisions, cell expansion and patterning during embryo sac development.     

ACTIN-RELATED PROTEIN6 Regulates Female Meiosis by Modulating Meiotic Gene Expression in Arabidopsis

In flowering plants, meiocytes develop from subepidermal cells in anthers and ovules. The mechanisms that integrate gene-regulatory processes with meiotic programs during reproductive development remain poorly characterized. Here, we show that Arabidopsis thaliana plants deficient in ACTIN-RELATED PROTEIN6 (ARP6), a subunit of the SWR1 ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complex, exhibit defects in prophase I of female meiosis. We found that this meiotic defect is likely due to dysregulated expression of meiotic genes, particularly those involved in meiotic recombination, including DMC1 (DISRUPTED MEIOTIC cDNA1). Analysis of DMC1 expression in arp6 mutant plants indicated that ARP6 inhibits expression of DMC1 in the megasporocyte and surrounding nonsporogeneous ovule cells before meiosis. After cells enter meiosis, however, ARP6 activates DMC1 expression specifically in the megasporocyte even as it continues to inhibit DMC1 expression in the nonsporogenous ovule cells. We further show that deposition of the histone variant H2A.Z, mediated by the SWR1 chromatin-remodeling complex at the DMC1 gene body, requires ARP6. Therefore, ARP6 regulates female meiosis by determining the spatial and temporal patterns of gene expression required for proper meiosis during ovule development.     

杉木雌配子体与后胚发育过程中核酸、蛋白质和类脂的消长

在杉木胚胎分化期至成熟期,每个雌配子体总核酸和DNA,RNA含量在初期增加,后期则随着胚的分化发育逐渐下降,而蛋白质和类脂则一直上升。每胚总核酸、DNA,RNA则相应增加,而蛋白质、类脂的含量和干重亦逐渐增加。在胚分化早期RNA的迅速合成与细胞的分化及器官形成有关。但以胚干重为单位的DNA、RNA含量却随着胚的发育而有所减少;蛋白质含量先增加,至成熟后才下降。授粉前的胚珠,以及雌配子体、胚中都发现有凝集素存在。     

Arabidopsis Histidine Kinase CKI1 Acts Upstream of HISTIDINE PHOSPHOTRANSFER PROTEINS to Regulate Female Gametophyte Development and Vegetative Growth

Cytokinin signaling is mediated by a multiple-step phosphorelay. Key components of the phosphorelay consist of the histidine kinase (HK)-type receptors, histidine phosphotransfer proteins (HP), and response regulators (RRs). Whereas overexpression of a nonreceptor-type HK gene CYTOKININ-INDEPENDENT1 (CKI1) activates cytokinin signaling by an unknown mechanism, mutations in CKI1 cause female gametophytic lethality. However, the function of CKI1 in cytokinin signaling remains unclear. Here, we characterize a mutant allele, cki1-8, that can be transmitted through female gametophytes with low frequency (∼0.17%). We have recovered viable homozygous cki1-8 mutant plants that grow larger than wild-type plants, show defective megagametogenesis and rarely set enlarged seeds. We found that CKI1 acts upstream of AHP (Arabidopsis HP) genes, independently of cytokinin receptor genes. Consistently, an ahp1,2-2,3,4,5 quintuple mutant, which contains an ahp2-2 null mutant allele, exhibits severe defects in megagametogenesis, with a transmission efficiency of <3.45% through female gametophytes. Rarely recovered ahp1,2-2,3,4,5 quintuple mutants are seedling lethal. Finally, the female gametophytic lethal phenotype of cki1-5 (a null mutant) can be partially rescued by IPT8 or ARR1 (a type-B Arabidopsis RR) driven by a CKI1 promoter. These results define a genetic pathway consisting of CKI1, AHPs, and type-B ARRs in the regulation of female gametophyte development and vegetative growth.