BcMF21 is important for pollen development and germination in Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis

Brassica campestris Male Fertility 21 (BcMF21) was previously isolated from the flower buds of Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis Makino, syn. B. rapa ssp. chinensis) and expressed specifically in tapetum and microspores during the meiosis stage and the uninucleate stage of microspore development. Here, we used antisense RNA technology to knock down the expression level of BcMF21 in B. campestris and analyzed the phenotype of the transgenic plants. Alexander staining and scanning electron microscope revealed sterility and exine deformities in the mature pollen grains of BcMF21 antisense RNA transgenic plants. The germination furrow of the BcMF21 antisense RNA transgenic pollen was covered by lipid like materials. The pollen tubes burst and could not grow normally in vitro. Therefore, we presented here BcMF21 might be an important gene for pollen development and germination.     

Isolation and Characterization of an Anther-Specific Polygalacturonase Gene, BcMF16, in Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis

Many genes in the genic male sterile A/B line (Bajh97-01A/B) of Chinese cabbage pak choi (Brassica campestris L. subsp. chinensis Makino) are expressed differentially, and some play critical roles in the formation of pollen walls. In this study, one of these genes, Brassica campestris Male Fertility 16 (BcMF16), has been isolated and characterized. The BcMF16 gene shares approximately 85% nucleotide sequence homology with two exopolygalacturonase (EC3.2.1.67) genes of Arabidopsis thaliana. Cluster analysis of polygalacturonase peptides indicate that BcMF16 belongs to the pollen polygalacturonase clade. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis has revealed that BcMF16 is specifically expressed in reproductive tissues of the fertile line of genic male sterile A/B line of Chinese cabbage pak choi, and that expression levels dramatically increased during later stages of pollen development. In situ hybridization has demonstrated that BcMF16 is specifically and transiently expressed in both tapetum and pollen following microspore separation at the tetrad stage.     

BcMF11, a novel non-coding RNA gene from Brassica campestris, is required for pollen development and male fertility

Key message

BcMF11 as a non-coding RNA gene has an essential role in pollen development, and might be useful for regulating the pollen fertility of crops by antisense RNA technology.

Abstract

We previously identified a 828-bp full-length cDNA of BcMF11, a novel pollen-specific non-coding mRNA-like gene from Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis Makino). However, little information is known about the function of BcMF11 in pollen development. To investigate its exact biological roles in pollen development, the BcMF11 cDNA was antisense inhibited in transgenic Chinese cabbage under the control of a tapetum-specific promoter BcA9 and a constitutive promoter CaMV 35S. Antisense RNA transgenic plants displayed decreasing expression of BcMF11 and showed distinct morphological defects. Pollen germination test in vitro and in vivo of the transgenic plants suggested that inhibition of BcMF11 decreased pollen germination efficiency and delayed the pollen tubes’ extension in the style. Under scanning electron microscopy, many shrunken and collapsed pollen grains were detected in the antisense BcMF11 transgenic Chinese cabbage. Further cytological observation revealed abnormal pollen development process in transgenic plants, including delayed degradation of tapetum, asynchronous separation of microspore, and aborted development of pollen grain. These results suggest that BcMF11, as a non-coding RNA, plays an essential role in pollen development and male fertility.     

Characterization and functional analysis of a novel PCP gene BcMF5 from Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis Makino)

Brassica campestris Male Fertile 5 (BcMF5), a novel member of the pollen coat protein class A (PCP-A) gene family, was identified from Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis Makino (Chinese cabbage-pak-choi). Temporal and spatial expression analysis showed that BcMF5 is a late-expressed PCP gene related to the process of determining pollen fertility. Functional analysis by hairpin RNA (hpRNA)-mediated RNA interference also showed that the expression of BcMF5 is inhibited, which resulted in the low germination ability of the pollen and also in an abnormality of the pollen exemplified by a collapsed germination furrow. This demonstrates that the expression of BcMF5 is closely related to the tapetum. Further, the expression profile of the BcMF5 promoter in Arabidopsis was also analyzed. This analysis indicated that the BcMF5 promoter began expression in the early stage of anther development and drove high levels of glucuronidase (GUS) expression in anthers, pollen, and the pollen tube in the late stage of pollen development, but did not drive any expression in petals, sepals, or pistils. Together with the functional analysis, the hypothesis that BcMF5 may have a sporophytic or gametophytic expression pattern is presented.     

Morphological and functional characterization of BcMF13 in the antisense-silenced plants of Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis var. parachinensis

The gene Brassica campestris male fertility 13 (BcMF13, GenBank accession number EF158459) was isolated as a reproductive organ-specific gene from Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis Makino, syn. B. rapa ssp. chinensis). It is exclusively expressed in stage four and five flower buds of fertile lines and is most strongly expressed in stamens. Here, we report a functional characterization of this BcMF13 gene in the antisense-silenced plants. The inflorescence of the BcMF13 mutant was compacted with anthers curved outside. The fertility of this mutant was greatly reduced with less than 5 seeds per silique. Under scanning electron microscopy, the mutant demonstrated numerous shriveled pollen grains with deep invaginations. The frequency of normal pollen grains was just 45.34%. The pollen mother cell, the tetrad, and the mature pollen of the BcMF13 mutant were abnormal resulting in the poor pollen vitality. Germination test in vivo suggested BcMF13 delayed the pollen tubes’ extension in the style. All these indicated BcMF13 had a vital role in pollen development of Chinese cabbage.     

Cloning and expression analysis of a CMS-related gene BcCoi1 from Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis

BcCoi1, a cytoplasmic male sterility related gene, which was isolated from flower buds of Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis Makino using the RACE technology, was characterized and submitted to the NCBI GenBank (accession no. GU263836). The gene encodes a 67.78-kD protein containing 16 leucine-rich repeats and an N-terminal F-box motif and is extremely similar to Arabidopsis thaliana Coi1 gene. The Southern blot showed that BcCoi1 belongs to a multigene family. In A. thaliana, the Coi1 gene is involved in jasmonate signaling, and Coi1 mutant displayed male sterility. In this study, qPCR results demonstrated that BcCoi1 was accumulated in stamens and was significantly higher expressed in flower organs of the maintainer line than in the CMS one. At the microsporocyte development stage, the gene was expressed at a significantly lower extent in the CMS line than in the maintainer line. This expression profile presumes that BcCoi1 plays a role in early microspore development in non-heading Chinese cabbage.     

不结球白菜分子遗传图谱的构建及分析

以不结球白菜'常州乌塌菜'和'二青'杂交产生的181株F2代分离材料为作图群体,利用ISSR、RAPD、SSR、SRAP等分子标记来构建不结球白菜分子遗传连锁图谱.结果表明,构建的连锁图谱包含11个连锁群,由139个标记组成,其中包括4个ISSR标记、19个RAPD标记、22个SSR标记和94个SRAP标记.其中偏分离标记37个,占26.6%;每条连锁群上的标记数在4～33个之间,连锁群长度在61～164 cM的范围,覆盖基因组950 cM,总平均图距6.8 cM.     

白菜OguCMS相关MYB家族新基因BcMYBogu的克隆与特征分析

为研究CMS核质互作的分子机理, 将甘蓝型油菜(Brassica napus L.)和白菜(B. campestris L. ssp. chinensis Makino)杂交并连续回交6代获得白菜OguCMS, 在与保持系花药细胞学比较的基础上, 运用cDNA-AFLP筛选得到白菜OguCMS早、中期花蕾提早表达的MYB-like差异片断, 利用RACE克隆得到该片断的cDNA全长, 命名为BcMYBogu(GenBank 登录号: EF127861), 对其氨基酸序列和表达特征进行研究。结果表明, 白菜OguCMS绒毡层在四分体后增生, 高度液泡化, 导致小孢子花粉外壁异常, 细胞质同外壁分离并降解; 花药变白; BcMYBogu具有典型的MYB DNA结合域—W残基和SH[AL]QKY[RF]基序; 系统进化分析显示BcMYBogu与AtMYB26, AtMYB32和AtMYB4等聚类在同一分枝; RT-PCR分析表明BcMYBogu在莲座叶、花茎和花蕾中均有表达, 但在OguCMS花蕾中表达量显著上升。由此推测BcMYBogu是一个新的与白菜OguCMS相关的MYB家族新成员。     

The distinct functions of two classical arabinogalactan proteins BcMF8 and BcMF18 during pollen wall development in Brassica campestris

Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) are extensively glycosylated hydroxyproline‐rich glycoproteins ubiquitous in all plant tissues and cells. AtAGP6 and AtAGP11, the only two functionally known pollen‐specific classical AGP encoding genes in Arabidopsis, are reported to have redundant functions in microspore development. BcMF18 and BcMF8 isolated from Brassica campestris are the orthologues of AtAGP6 and AtAGP11, respectively. In contrast to the functional redundancy of AtAGP6 and AtAGP11, single‐gene disruption of BcMF8 led to deformed pollen grains with abnormal intine development and ectopic aperture formation in B. campestris. Here, we further explored the action of BcMF18 and its relationship with BcMF8. BcMF18 was specifically expressed in pollen during the late stages of microspore development. Antisense RNA transgenic lines with BcMF18 reduction resulted in aberrant pollen grains with abnormal cellulose distribution, lacking intine, cytoplasm and nuclei. Transgenic plants with repressive expression of both BcMF8 and BcMF18 showed a hybrid phenotype, expressing a mixture of the phenotypes of the single gene knockdown plant lines. In addition, we identified functional diversity between BcMF18/BcMF8 and AtAGP6/AtAGP11, mainly reflected by the specific contribution of BcMF18 and BcMF8 to pollen wall formation. These results suggest that, unlike the orthologous genes AtAGP6 and AtAGP11 in Arabidopsis, BcMF18 and BcMF8 are both integral to pollen biogenesis in B. campestris, acting through independent pathways during microspore development.     

6个不结球白菜品种光合作用特性的研究

对6个不结球白菜品种的光合作用特性进行了研究。结果表明,在800μmol·m-2·s-1的光强下,不结球白菜的净光合速率以‘正大抗热青3号’最高,达16.37μmol CO2·m-2·s-1,其光合作用表观量子效率、羧化效率和水分利用效率也最高,分别为0.0442、0.0854mol·m-2·s-1和6.20μmol CO2·mmol-1H2O;暗呼吸速率以‘绿星’最低,为2.24μmol CO2·m-2·s-1;Pn-PFD响应曲线显示,在光强300μmol·m-2·s-1以下,各品种的净光合速率差异较小,在光强为300~1000μmol·m-2·s-1区段时,净光合速率随着光照强度增加而迅速增加。‘正大抗热青3号’光饱和点最高,达1910.3μmol·m-2·s-1,其光饱和点的净光合速率也最高,达20.2μmol CO2·m-2·s-1;不结球白菜不同品种净光合速率日变化进程相似,不论数值高低均呈双峰曲线型,有明显的“午休”现象。     

BcMF9, a novel polygalacturonase gene, is required for both Brassica campestris intine and exine formation

Background and Aims

The polygalacturonase (PG) gene family has been found to be enriched in pollen of several species; however, little is currently known about the function of the PG gene in pollen development. To investigate the exact role that the PG gene has played in pollen development and about this family in general, one putative PG gene, Brassica campestris Male Fertility 9 (BcMF9), was isolated from Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis, syn. B. rapa ssp. chinensis) and characterized.

Methods

RT-PCR, northern blotting and in situ hybridization were used to analyse the expression pattern of BcMF9, and antisense RNA technology was applied to study the function of this gene.

Key Results

BcMF9 is expressed in particular in the tapetum and microspore during the late stages of pollen development. Antisense RNA transgenic plants that displayed decreased expression of BcMF9 showed pollen morphological defects that resulted in reduced pollen germination efficiency. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the homogeneous pectic exintine layer of pollen facing the exterior was over-developed and predominantly occupied the intine, reversing the normal proportional distribution of the internal endintine layer and the external exintine in transgenic pollen. Inhibition of BcMF9 also resulted in break-up of the previously formed tectum and baculae from the beginning of the binucleate stage, as a result of premature degradation of tapetum.

Conclusions

Several lines of evidence, including patterns of BcMF9 expression and phenotypic defects, suggest a sporophytic role in exine patterning, and a gametophytic mode of action of BcMF9 in intine formation. BcMF9 might act as a co-ordinator in the late stages of tapetum degeneration, and subsequently in the regulation of wall material secretion and, in turn, exine formation. BcMF9 might also play a role in intine formation, possibly via regulation of the dynamic metabolism of pectin.Key words: Brassica campestris, Chinese cabbage, exine, intine, PG, pollen wall, polygalacturonase, BcMF9     

Cloning and Characterization of the Microspore Development-Related Gene BcMF2 in Chinese Cabbage Pak-Choi （Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis Makino）

For the sake of providing some important information relevant to the study of the molecular mechanism of genic male sterility in plants, gene differential expression in flower buds at different developmental stages, as well as in rosette leaves, florescence leaves, and scapes was analyzed using cDNA amplified fragment length polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) in the genic male sterile A and fertile B line of Chinese cabbage pak-choi. Following amplification of 125 pairs of primer combinations, 11 differential fragments were obtained, of which eight were from the B line and the other three were from the A line. Of 11 differential fragments, four were verified by Northern hybridization that were expressed preferentially in fertile flower buds. Results of GenBank BLAST showed that one fragment was with unknown function, whereas the other fragments have strong nucleotide sequence similarities with the polygalacturonase (PG) gene, the pectinesterase (PE) gene, and the polygalacturonase inhibitory protein (PGIP4) gene. Only fulllength cDNA from the differential fragment BcMF-A 18T 16-1 was amplified by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) and Northern analysis showed that this fragment was expressed only in medium and largesized flower buds of the B line. The full-length cDNA, designated as BcMF2 (Brassica campestris Male Fertile 2), was 1 485 bp long and was composed ofa 1 263-bp open reading frame, which had 83% nucleotide similarity to a PG gene from Arabidopsis encoding polygalacturonase. Analysis of the basic structure of the protein revealed that it had one polygalacturonase active site (RVTCGPGHGLSVGS) at 256th site of amino acids and was classified as being a member of family 28 of the glycosyl hydrolases. The role of the BcMF2gene on microspore development is discussed in the present paper.