Functional analysis of a beta-1,3-glucanase gene (Tag1) with anther-specific RNA and protein accumulation using antisense RNA inhibition

A critical stage in pollen development is the dissolution of tetrads into free microspores. Tetrads are surrounded by a wall composed primarily of beta-1,3-glucan. At the completion of meiosis, tetrads are released into the anther locule after hydrolysis of the callose by a beta-1,3-glucanase complex. The cDNA corresponding to a beta-1,3-glucanase cloned from tobacco (Tag 1) represents a gene that is highly similar to other beta-1,3-glucanases and is expressed exclusively in anthers from the tetrad to free microspore stage of pollen development. Tag 1 protein was overexpressed in E. coli, accumulating in insoluble inclusion bodies. Polyclonal antibodies against Tag 1 recombinant protein identify a single 33 kD protein accumulating only in anthers at tetrad and free microspore stages where beta-1,3-glucanase activity is present. Transgenic plants expressing Tag 1 antisense RNA were produced. Although Tag 1 RNA and protein levels were greatly reduced, tetrad dissolution and pollen development were normal. These data indicate that under the conditions these tobacco plants were grown, wild type levels of Tag 1 protein are not necessary for male fertility.     

Mechanism of low‐temperature‐induced pollen failure in rice

Low‐temperature stress during microspore development alters cellular organization in rice anthers. The major cellular damage includes unusual starch accumulation in the plastids of the endothecium in postmeiotic anthers, abnormal vacuolation and hypertrophy of the tapetum, premature callose (1,3‐β‐glucan) breakdown and lack of normal pollen wall formation. These cellular lesions arise from damage to critical biochemical processes that include sugar metabolism in the anthers and its use by the microspores. Failure of utilization of the callose breakdown product and other microspore wall components like sporopollenin can also be considered as critical. In recent years, considerable progress has been made in the understanding of major biochemical processes including the expression of critical genes that are sensitive to low temperature in rice and cause male sterility. This paper combines a discussion of cellular organization and associated biochemical processes that are sensitive to low temperatures and provides an overview of the potential mechanisms of low‐temperature‐induced male sterility in rice.     

Abnormal Vacuolization of the Tapetum During the Tetrad Stage is Associated with Male Sterility in the Recessive Genic Male Sterile <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica napus</Emphasis> L. Line 9012A

In the recessive genic male sterile line 9012A of Brassica napus, pollen development is affected during the tetrad stage. According to the light and electron microscopy analysis of tapetal cells and tetrads, the sterile tapetal cells swelled with expanded vacuoles at the early tetrad stage and finally filled the center of the locules where a majority of tetrads encased with the thick callose wall collapsed and degraded. We suggested that an absence of callase, which is a wall-degrading enzyme stored in the vacuoles of tapetal cells before secretion, resulted in the failure of tetrad separation. Moreover, transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that the secretory tapetal cells were not observed in sterile anthers, which indicated that the transition of the tapetum from the parietal type to the secretory type was probably aberrant. In plants, degeneration of the tapetum is thought to be the result of programmed cell death (PCD). PCD of tapetal cells was investigated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assay and signals indicative of deoxyribonucleic acid fragmentation were detected much earlier in sterile anther than in fertile anther. This suggests that tapetal breakdown does not occur by the normal procession of PCD and might be following an alternative mechanism of unscheduled apoptosis in line 9012A. This research supports the hypothesis that premature PCD is associated with male sterility in B. napus.     

A COMPARATIVE LIGHT- AND ELECTRON-MICROSCOPIC STUDY OF MICROSPOROGENESIS IN MALE-FERTILE AND CYTOPLASMIC MALE-STERILE SUNFLOWER (HELIANTHUS ANNUUS)

Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) in sunflower anthers is compared with its normal (N) line by using light and electron microscopy. Degeneration and disintegration of CMS tapetum and microspore tetrads occur after meiosis II, resulting in sterility. At the onset of meiosis, the CMS tapetum enlarges radially and shows signs of disorganization of organelles and walls. The developing CMS meiocytes and tetrads of microspores do not show these abnormalities when compared with their N counterparts. The CMS microspore tetrads remain viable until a rudimentary exine forms around each microspore. At this time, the radially enlarged tapetum disintegrates, followed by disintegration of the tetrads. In N-line microsporogenesis, a peripheral, dense tapetum is present at the tetrad stage, and as each locule enlarges, free spaces occur around the tetrads. After a rudimentary exine with associated spines and colpi is formed around each microspore, the callose holding each tetrad together dissolves, freeing the microspores for further development. Eventually the binucleate tapetum becomes plasmodial, persisting until the vacuolate pollen stage.     

Mechanism of male sterility in Petunia: The relationship between pH,callase activity in the anthers,and the breakdown of the microsporogenesis

Summary In the locules of fertile Petunia hybrida anthers the in vivo pH during meiosis is 6.8–7.0 and no callase activity can be detected. Towards the end of the tetrad stage, the pH drops to 5.9–6.2 followed by a burst of callase activity. Subsequently, callose in the tetrad walls is digested and the quartets of microspores are released into the anther locules and develop into pollen grains. In the anther locules of one cytoplasmic male sterile (cms) Petunia type the pH drop and strong callase activity are already evident at early meiotic stages. Consequently, the callose already accumulated in the pollen mother cell (PMC) walls is digested and the PMC's cease to develop and are degraded. In another sterile genotype, the pH of the locule remains high (6.8–7.0), no callase activity is detected at the end of tetrad stage and the callose walls remain intact until a very late stage. It is suggested that the timing of callase activity is critical for the normal development of the male gametophyte and that faulty timing may result in male sterility. Measurements of pH in vivo and assays for callase activity in vitro indicate that the low pH is a precondition for the enzyme activity. Furthermore, it is suggested that the activation of callase in vivo is in some way connected with the changes in the pH of the locule.Contribution from The Volcani Institute of Agricultural Research, 1970 Series, No. 1709-E.Supported in part by grant No. FG-Is-171 from the United States Department of Agriculture, under P. L. 480.     

Histological aspects of microsporogenesis in fertile,cytoplasmic male sterile and restored fertilePetunia hybrida

Summary A comparative histological study is made of microsporogenesis in fertile, cytoplasmic male sterile and restored fertilePetunia. Microsporogenesis in sterile anthers proceeds normally until leptotene. The development of the restored fertile type at 25°C is normal until the tetrad stage. In both types sporogenesis arrests and the meiocytes, c.q. microspores ultimately degenerate. The first phenomena of deviation are found in the tapetum. The effects of degeneration on cellular structure, vacuolation and cytoplasmic organization of the tapetal and sporogenous cells are variable. The deposition of callose around the meiocytes appears independent of the process of degeneration. The absence of an increase in callase activity possibly explains the remnants of callose found at late stages of development. The failure of callose wall dissolution appears to be the result of metabolic abnormalities in the tapetum and is regarded as an indirect effect of sterility.     

温光敏核不育水稻N28S无花粉败育的显微结构观察

采用石蜡切片和荧光显微技术观察了温光敏核不育水稻N28S无花粉败育过程中的显微结构变化,结果显示：N28S的小孢子母细胞形成后细胞质变得稀薄,一部分不能进行减数分裂,一部分减数分裂阻滞在细线期或胞质分裂异常,最终所有细胞液泡化解体消失。在此过程中,还观察到小孢子母细胞在细线期胼胝质壁不产生或提早消失,以及小孢子发育后期花药壁绒毡层的异常解体。认为N28S的无花粉败育是由小孢子母细胞的细胞质异常引起的,胼胝质壁和绒毡层的异常是结果而不是原因。     

长春蒲公英雄性不育株形态学观察与败育细胞学研究

在长春蒲公英(Taraxacum junpeianum Kitam.)株群中发现雄性不育现象,为研究其败育机理及特点,探寻其不育基因,采用形态观察法、石蜡切片技术和染色体压片法,对长春蒲公英野生型及其雄性不育株的花药发育过程和花粉母细胞减数分裂过程进行了观察。结果表明:(1)长春蒲公英雄性不育株花药中部发红、干瘪、无花粉散出。与野生型比较,雄性不育株雄蕊更短,子房更窄,种子形态更加狭长;(2)长春蒲公英雄性不育株败育时期为四分体到单核小孢子前期,败育方式为小孢子自身异常发育,绒毡层异常分解,互相粘连败育;(3)长春蒲公英雄性不育株花粉母细胞减数分裂二分体时期出现落后微核,随后产生极少四分体,并且四分体产生大量染色体桥,小孢子营养物质流失,彻底败育。因此,长春蒲公英雄性不育株败育彻底、稳定,并且有种的特点。小孢子自身异常发育和绒毡层异常分解是导致败育的主要原因。     

雄性不育与可育楸树花发育的细胞学比较研究

楸树（Catalpa bungei C.A.Meyer.）属紫葳科(Bignoniaceae)梓树属(Catalpa),落叶乔木,是我国特有的珍贵优质用材树种。本文用石蜡切片法对可育株和雄性不育株楸树的大、小孢子发生及雌、雄配子体发育过程进行了详细地比较观察。结果表明：可育株和不育株楸树雌蕊的发育基本相同,胚珠倒生,薄珠心,单珠被,胚囊发育为蓼型。可育株雄蕊花药四室,药隔薄壁组织发达;异型绒粘层,由药壁绒粘层和药隔绒粘层组成;花药壁表皮细胞在小孢子母细胞减数分裂前后开始径向伸长加厚,直到花药开裂并不降解,这可能与花药开裂有关;成熟花粉为四合花粉。雄性不育株花药的早期发育到次生造胞细胞时期与可育雄蕊的相同,小孢子母细胞减数分裂前绒毡层发育不充分;四分体时期,绒毡层细胞高度液泡化,细胞质稀薄,已提前降解,小孢子四分体因绒毡层结构和功能异常而不能正常发育,因此楸树雄性不育为结构型雄性不育。     

Effects of chilling on male gametophyte development in rice

Chilling during male gametophyte development in rice inhibits development of microspores, causing male sterility. Changes in cellular ultrastructure that have been exposed to mild chilling include microspores with poor pollen wall formation, abnormal vacuolation and hypertrophy of the tapetum and unusual starch accumulation in the plastids of the endothecium in post-meiotic anthers. Anthers observed during tetrad release also have callose (1,3-beta-glucan) wall abnormalities as shown by immunocytochemical labelling. Expression of rice anther specific monosaccharide transporter (OsMST8) is greatly affected by chilling treatment. Perturbed carbohydrate metabolism, which is particularly triggered by repressed genes OsINV4 and OsMST8 during chilling, causes unusual starch storage in the endothecium and this also contributes to other symptoms such as vacuolation and poor microspore wall formation. Premature callose breakdown apparently restricts the basic framework of the future pollen wall. Vacuolation and hypertrophy are also symptoms of osmotic imbalance triggered by the reabsorption of callose breakdown products due to absence of OsMST8 activity.     

Characterization of callase (β-1,3-d-glucanase) activity during microsporogenesis in the sterile anthers of Allium sativum L. and the fertile anthers of A. atropurpureum

We examined callase activity in anthers of sterile Allium sativum (garlic) and fertile Allium atropurpureum. In A. sativum, a species that produces sterile pollen and propagates only vegetatively, callase was extracted from the thick walls of A. sativum microspore tetrads exhibited maximum activity at pH 4.8, and the corresponding in vivo values ranged from 4.5 to 5.0. Once microspores were released, in vitro callase activity peaked at three distinct pH values, reflecting the presence of three callase isoforms. One isoform, which was previously identified in the tetrad stage, displayed maximum activity at pH 4.8, and the remaining two isoforms, which were novel, were most active at pH 6.0 and 7.3. The corresponding in vivo values ranged from pH 4.75 to 6.0. In contrast, in A. atropurpureum, a sexually propagating species, three callase isoforms, active at pH 4.8-5.2, 6.1, and 7.3, were identified in samples of microsporangia that had released their microspores. The corresponding in vivo value for this plant was 5.9. The callose wall persists around A. sativum meiotic cells, whereas only one callase isoform, with an optimum activity of pH 4.8, is active in the acidic environment of the microsporangium. However, this isoform is degraded when the pH rises to 6.0 and two other callase isoforms, maximally active at pH 6.0 and 7.3, appear. Thus, factors that alter the pH of the microsporangium may indirectly affect the male gametophyte development by modulating the activity of callase and thereby regulating the degradation of the callose wall.     

S351┐1西瓜雄性不育的细胞学研究

西瓜Ｓ３５１－１雄性不育材料的细胞学观察表明：与对照的同系可育株相比,败育发生在次级造孢细胞到小孢子母细胞或小孢子四分体阶段,多数不育雄花花药中绒毡层始终未分化,药壁常由７－８层细胞组成,少数不育花药中出现绒毡层徒长现象;次级造孢细胞败育不同步,出现多核及多核仁现象,败育后期,药壁细胞逐渐解体,药室瓦解,花粉囊收缩变形。由此可见：其雄性不育与绒毡层的发育异常有直接联系。     

温敏型大白菜不育系的小孢子败育特性

两系法杂交制种中,温度敏感型雄性不育大白菜的小孢子在不育期的发育各阶段都可能发生畸形、退化,主要有4种类型：第一,花药发育受阻于孢原细胞的分化,属于无花粉型;第二,存在孢原细胞的分裂活动,但形成畸形角隅,孢原细胞退化解体或增大并聚成空洞的薄壁细胞;第三,四分体时期绒毡层和小孢子都退化,只剩空的花粉囊腔和几块残存物;第四,成熟花粉粒时期,小孢子畸形,药室收缩成镰刀形,畸形花粉粒杂乱地挤满药室。     

ST273 Is Essential for Tapetum and Microspore Development in Arabidopsis thaliana*

In Arabidopsis, the tapetum plays important roles in anther and pollen development by providing enzymes for callose dissolution, materials for pollen wall formation, and nutrients for microspore development. This paper describes the functional analyses of the ST273 gene in anther and pollen development by using Arabidopsis male sterile mutant st273. Mutant st273 was identified from a T DNA insertion mutant population, and genetic analysis showed that st273 mutant was controlled by a single recessive nuclear gene. A map based cloning approach was used, and ST273 gene was mapped to be linked to a molecular marker CIW11 on chromosome 3. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that there is a TDF1 gene near the marker CIW11. Sequencing analysis indicated that st273 mutant had a G459 to A459 base pair change in the third exon of TDF1 gene, which resulted in premature termination mutation in this region. Allelism test indicated that ST273 and TDF1 belong to the same locus. The mutant plant grows normally during the vegetative growth stage, but show developmental defects at the reproductive growth stage. Alexander staining showed that there was no pollen in the mature anther locule. Cytology observation indicated that the mutant tapetum was enlarged and vacuolated, the tetrads could not release the microspores timely, and finally no pollen was formed in the anther. These results demonstrated that ST273 protein plays an important role in tapetum and microspore development.     

A Comparative Study of Anther and Pollen Development in Male Fertile and Male. Sterile Green Onion (Allium fistulosum L.)

Anther and pollen development in male-fertile and male-sterile green onions was studied. In the male-fertile line, both meiotic microspore mother ceils and tetrads have a callose wall. Mature pollen grains are 2-celled. The elongated generative cell with two bended ends displays a PAS positive cell wall. The tapetum has the character of both secretory and invasive types. From microspore stage onwards, many oil bodies or masses accumulate in the cytoplasm of the tapetal cells. The tapetum degenerates at middle 2-celled pollen stage. In male-sterile line, meiosis in microspore mother cells proceeds normally to form the tetrads. Pollen abortion occurs at microspore with vacuole stage. Two types of pollen abortion were observed. In type I, the protoplasts of the microspores contract and gradually disintegrate. At the same time the cytoplasm of microspores accumulates oil bodies which remain in the empty pollen. The tapetal cells behave normally up to the microspore stage and early stage of microspore abortion, but contain fewer oil bodies or masses than those in the male-fertilt line. At late stage of microspore abortion, three forms of the tapetal ceils can be observed: (1) the tapetal cells with degenerating protoplasts become flattened, (2) the tapetal cells enlarge but protoplasts retractor, (3) the cells break down and tile middle layer enlarges. In type Ⅱ, the cytoplasm degenerates earlier than the nucleus of the microspores and no protoplast is found in the anther locule. There are fibrous thickenings iii the endothecium of both types. It is difficult to verify whether the tapetum behavior and pollen abortion is the cause or the effect.     

MS32-regulated timing of callose degradation during microsporogenesisin Arabidopsis is associated with the accumulation of stacked rough ER in tapetal cells

  In the male sterile32(ms32)mutant in Arabidopsis thaliana, pollen development is affected during meiosis of pollen mother cells (PMCs). In normal wild-type (WT) anthers, callose is deposited around PMCs before and during meiosis, and after meiosis the tetrads have a complete callose wall. In ms32, PMCs showed initial signs of some callose deposition before meiosis, but it was degraded soon after, as was part of the cellulosic wall around the PMCs. The early dissolution of callose in ms32 was associated with the occurrence of extensive stacks of rough ER (RER) in tapetal cells. The stacks of RER were also observed in the WT tapetum, but at a later stage, i.e., after the tetrads were formed and when callose is normally broken down for release of microspores. Based on these observations it is suggested that: (1) callose degradation around developing microspores is linked to the formation of RER in tapetal cells, which presumably synthesize and/or secrete callase into the anther locule, and (2) mutation in MS32 disrupts the timing of these events. Received: 27 April 1999 / Revision accepted: 21 June 1999