Relationship Between Male Fertility and Endogenous Phytohormones in Photoperiod-Sensitive Genic Male-Sterile Rice

A spontaneous male sterile rice plant (Oryza sativa L. cv. Nongken 58S) "Photoperiod-sensitive Genic Male-sterile Rice has been found to be male sterile under long day cycles (LD) and fertile in short day cycles (SD). The period from secondary rachis-branch and spikelet primodia to pollen mother cell formation in the process of panical development was the photoperiod-sensitive stage for fertility alternation. The phenotype of this mutant was reported to be controlled by two pairs of recessive alleles. The research on relationship between the fertility alternation and phytohormone action in this mutant have been performed by Chinese scientists since 1985. In order to study the mechanism of fertility alternation in Nongken 58S, endogenous IAA, ABA, GA1 and GA4 in apical leaves and reproductive organs in different development stages under LD and SD conditions have been quantiatvely and qualitatively identified by GC-MS-SIM method. It was found that endogenous IAA in apical leaves at the stage of pistil and stamen primodia formation and in panicles at pollen mother cell stage of Nongken 58S with LD condition was deficient comparing with those in SD. Endogenous ABA level in panicles at pollen mother cell stage, in spikelets at uninucleate stage and in anthers at anthesis stage of Nongken 58S-LD were lower than those in SD. ABA levels in corresponding organs and developmental stages of wild type of rice, "Nongken 58" were always higher in LD treatment than those in SD. Endogenous IAA, GA1 and GA4 levels in anthers at anthesis stasge of "Nongken 58"-LD were increased obviously. Thus it appeared that "Nongken 58" possess stronger resistance to LD stress than Nongken 58S. It is concluded that IAA deficiency of reproductive organs at early developmental stage, ABA decrease implying poor resistance to LD stress and reduction of GAs in late developmental stages were the factors causing the anther sterility in Nongken 58S-LD.     

The Arabidopsis GAMYB-like genes, MYB33 and MYB65, are microRNA-regulated genes that redundantly facilitate anther development

The functions of the vast majority of genes encoding R2R3 MYB domain proteins remain unknown. The closely related MYB33 and MYB65 genes of Arabidopsis thaliana have high sequence similarity to the barley (Hordeum vulgare) GAMYB gene. T-DNA insertional mutants were isolated for both genes, and a myb33 myb65 double mutant was defective in anther development. In myb33 myb65 anthers, the tapetum undergoes hypertrophy at the pollen mother cell stage, resulting in premeiotic abortion of pollen development. However, myb33 myb65 sterility was conditional, where fertility increased both under higher light or lower temperature conditions. Thus, MYB33/MYB65 facilitate, but are not essential for, anther development. Neither single mutant displayed a phenotype, implying that MYB33 and MYB65 are functionally redundant. Consistent with functional redundancy, promoter-beta-glucuronidase (GUS) fusions of MYB33 and MYB65 gave identical expression patterns in flowers (sepals, style, receptacle, anther filaments, and connective but not in anthers themselves), shoot apices, and root tips. By contrast, expression of a MYB33:GUS translational fusion in flowers was solely in young anthers (consistent with the male sterile phenotype), and no staining was seen in shoot meristems or root tips. A microRNA target sequence is present in the MYB genes, and mutating this sequence in the MYB33:GUS fusion results in an expanded expression pattern, in tissues similar to that observed in the promoter-GUS lines, implying that the microRNA target sequence is restricting MYB33 expression. Arabidopsis transformed with MYB33 containing the mutated microRNA target had dramatic pleiotrophic developmental defects, suggesting that restricting MYB33 expression, especially in the shoot apices, is essential for proper plant development.     

核酸代谢抑制剂对水稻光敏核不育性的影响

在稻穗分化的二次枝梗期后,观察比较了叶片喷施核酸代谢抑制剂５ＦＵ对水稻光敏核不育性及幼穗发育的影响,结果表明：长日照下,５ＦＵ在使农垦５８Ｓ穗长缩短、颖花数减少的同时,却使其抽穗提前,可育性得到一定程度的恢复;５ＦＵ处理还使农垦５８的抽穗被完全阻止。在短日照下,５ＦＵ处理则使农垦５８Ｓ与农垦５８在穗长与颖花数减少的同时,其抽穗反被延迟,可育性受到抑制而结实率显著降低,上述效应还可被随后施用的恢复剂乳清酸所弱化。因此可以认为光敏核不育现象与稻穗发育中核酸代谢的改变有关。     

The fertility restorer gene, Rf2, for Lead Rice-type cytoplasmic male sterility of rice encodes a mitochondrial glycine-rich protein

Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is associated with a mitochondrial mutation that causes an inability to produce fertile pollen. The fertility of CMS plants is restored in the presence of a nuclear-encoded fertility restorer (Rf) gene. In Lead Rice-type CMS, discovered in the indica variety 'Lead Rice', fertility of the CMS plant is restored by the single nuclear-encoded gene Rf2 in a gametophytic manner. We performed map-based cloning of Rf2, and proved that it encodes a protein consisting of 152 amino acids with a glycine-rich domain. Expression of Rf2 mRNA was detected in developing and mature anthers. An RF2-GFP fusion was shown to be targeted to mitochondria. Replacement of isoleucine by threonine at amino acid 78 of the RF2 protein was considered to be the cause of functional loss in the rf2 allele. As Rf2 does not encode a pentatricopeptide repeat protein, unlike a majority of previously identified Rf genes, the data from this study provide new insights into the mechanism for restoring fertility in CMS.     

核酸代谢抑制剂对水稻光敏核不育性的影响

在稻穗分化的二次枝梗期后,观察比较了叶片喷施核酸代谢抑制剂5-FU对水稻光敏核不育性及幼穗发育的影响,结果表明：长日照下,5-FU在使农垦58S穗长缩短、颖花数减少的同时,却使其抽穗提前,可育性得到一定程度的恢复;5-FU处理还使农垦58的抽穗被完全阻止。在短日照下,5-FU处理则使农垦58S与农垦58在穗长与颖花数减少的同时,其抽穗反被延迟,可育性受到抑制而结实率显著降低,上述效应还可被随后施用的恢复剂乳清酸所弱化。因此可以认为光敏核不育现象与稻穗发育中核酸代谢的改变有关。     

氮素形态对烤烟光合特性影响的研究

1996～1997年连续二年进行了固定氮素用量,改变铵态、硝态氮肥的施用比例试验,对烤烟的一些光合生理特性进行了研究。试验结果表明,在烤烟生长前、中期,增施铵态氮施用比例,烤烟的叶绿素含量增加,但达100％铵态氮时,叶绿素含量反而下降,低于施用50％和75％铵态氮的处理;在烤烟生长后期．功能叶片叶绿素含量基本上与施用铵态氮比例高低—致,以100％铵态氮处理的叶绿素含量最高。另外增加铵态氮施用比例,烤烟功能叶片的希尔反应活性及光合磷酸化活性有所提高,但P/O比值基本不变。从叶绿素诱导荧光动力学特征参数及比值情况来看：增加铵态氮施用比例,Fm和Fv值升高;几种荧光参数的比值如Fd/Fs、Fv/Fo、Fv/Fm比值有所上升,但均以25％硝态氮+75％铵态氮的处理最高;并且其烤后烟叶的产量最高、品质最好。     

The legwd mutant uncovers the role of starch phosphorylation in pollen development and germination in tomato

Starches extracted from most plant species are phosphorylated. α-Glucan water dikinase (GWD) is a key enzyme that controls the phosphate content of starch. In the absence of its activity starch degradation is impaired, leading to a starch excess phenotype in Arabidopsis and in potato leaves, and to reduced cold sweetening in potato tubers. Here, we characterized a transposon insertion ( legwd::Ds ) in the tomato GWD ( LeGWD ) gene that caused male gametophytic lethality. The mutant pollen had a starch excess phenotype that was associated with a reduction in pollen germination. SEM and TEM analyses indicated mild shrinking of the pollen grains and the accumulation of large starch granules inside the plastids. The level of soluble sugars was reduced by 1.8-fold in mutant pollen grains. Overall, the transmission of the mutant allele was only 0.4% in the male, whereas it was normal in the female. Additional mutant alleles, obtained through transposon excision, showed the same phenotypes as legwd::Ds . Moreover, pollen germination could be restored, and the starch excess phenotype could be abolished in lines expressing the potato GWD homolog ( StGWD ) under a pollen-specific promoter. In these lines, where fertility was restored, homozygous plants for legwd::Ds were isolated, and showed the starch excess phenotype in the leaves. Overall, our results demonstrate the importance of starch phosphorylation and breakdown for pollen germination, and open up the prospect for analyzing the role of starch metabolism in leaves and fruits.     

Arabidopsis SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS RECEPTOR KINASES1 and 2 are essential for tapetum development and microspore maturation

Among the >200 members of the leucine-rich repeat receptor kinase family in Arabidopsis thaliana, only a few have been functionally characterized. Here, we report a critical function in anther development for the SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS RECEPTOR KINASE1 (SERK1) and SERK2 genes. Both SERK1 and SERK2 are expressed widely in locules until stage 6 anthers and are more concentrated in the tapetal cell layer later. Whereas serk1 and serk2 single insertion mutants did not show developmental phenotypes, serk1 serk2 double mutants were not able to produce seeds because of a lack of pollen development in mutant anthers. In young buds, double mutant anthers developed normally, but serk1 serk2 microsporangia produced more sporogenous cells that were unable to develop beyond meiosis. Furthermore, serk1 serk2 double mutants developed only three cell layers surrounding the sporogenous cell mass, whereas wild-type anthers developed four cell layers. Further confocal microscopic and molecular analyses showed that serk1 serk2 double mutant anthers lack development of the tapetal cell layer, which accounts for the microspore abortion and male sterility. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that the SERK1 and SERK2 receptor kinases function redundantly as an important control point for sporophytic development controlling male gametophyte production.     

Specific Proteins in Chloroplasts of Photoperiod-Sensitive Genic Male-Sterile Rice

The chloroplast proteins of a male-sterile mutant Nongken 58S, namely “Hubei Photoperiod-sensitive Genic Male-sterile Rice”, which is male sterile under long day (LD) cycles and fertile under short day (SD) cycles, and its original cultivar Nongken 58 (Oryza sativa L. subsp, japonica, Nongken 58) at seedling stage and photoperiod sensitive stage of fertility transition could be resolved into at least 20 major and more than 70 minor protein components on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, with molecular weights ranging from 10kD to 67kD and isoelc points (pI) from 4.3 to 8.5. The mutant Nongken 58S had twospecific proteins with molecular weight of 45kD(pI6.7) and 61 kD (pI6.0) as compared with Nongken 58. Another 61 kD(pI6.2) protein was more in Nongken 58S than in Nongken 58. The existance of these proteins was not influenced by SD or LD treatment. The results showed difference in patterns of gene expression between Nongken 58S and Nongken 58. A possible function of these proteins in relation to regulation of sterility was discussed.     

Localization of wild type and mutant class I myosin proteins in Aspergillus nidulans using GFP-fusion proteins

We have examined the distribution of MYOA, the class I myosin protein of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans, as a GFP fusion protein. Wild type GFP-MYOA expressed from the myoA promoter is able to rescue a conditional myoA null mutant. Growth of a strain expressing GFP-MYOA as the only class I myosin was approximately 50% that of a control strain, demonstrating that the fusion protein retains substantial myosin function. The distribution of the wild type GFP-MYOA fusion is enriched in growing hyphal tips and at sites of septum formation. In addition, we find that GFP-MYOA is also found in patches at the cell cortex. We have also investigated the effects of deletion or truncation mutations in the tail domain on MYOA localization. Mutant GFP-MYOA fusions that lacked either the C-terminal SH3 or a portion of the C-terminal proline-rich domain had subcellular distributions like wild type MYOA, consistent with their ability to complement a myoA null mutant. In contrast, mutants lacking all of the C-terminal proline-rich domain or the TH-1-like domain were mainly localized diffusely throughout the cytoplasm, but could less frequently be found in patches, and were unable to complement a myoA null mutant. The GFP-MYOA DeltaIQ mutant was localized into large bright fluorescent patches in the cytoplasm. This mutant protein was subsequently found to be insoluble.     

Tapetum and middle layer control male fertility in Actinidia deliciosa

Background and Aims

Dioecism characterizes many crop species of economic value, including kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa). Kiwifruit male sterility occurs at the microspore stage. The cell walls of the microspores and the pollen of the male-sterile and male-fertile flowers, respectively, differ in glucose and galactose levels. In numerous plants, pollen formation involves normal functioning and degeneration timing of the tapetum, with calcium and carbohydrates provided by the tapetum essential for male fertility. The aim of this study was to determine whether the anther wall controls male fertility in kiwifruit, providing calcium and carbohydrates to the microspores.

Methods

The events occurring in the anther wall and microspores of male-fertile and male-sterile anthers were investigated by analyses of light microscopy, epifluorescence, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL assay) and transmission electron microscopy coupled with electron spectroscopy. The possibility that male sterility was related to anther tissue malfunctioning with regard to calcium/glucose/galactose provision to the microspores was also investigated by in vitro anther culture.

Key Results

Both tapetum and the middle layer showed secretory activity and both degenerated by programmed cell death (PCD), but PCD was later in male-sterile than in male-fertile anthers. Calcium accumulated in cell walls of the middle layer and tapetum and in the exine of microspores and pollen, reaching higher levels in anther wall tissues and dead microspores of male-sterile anthers. A specific supply of glucose and calcium induced normal pollen formation in in vitro-cultured anthers of the male-sterile genotype.

Conclusions

The results show that male sterility in kiwifruit is induced by anther wall tissues through prolonged secretory activity caused by a delay in PCD, in the middle layer in particular. In vitro culture results support the sporophytic control of male fertility in kiwifruit and open the way to applications to overcome dioecism and optimize kiwifruit production.