scholarly journals Rab-dependent vesicular traffic affects female gametophyte development in Arabidopsis

Author(s):  
Joanna Rojek ◽  
Matthew R Tucker ◽  
Sara C Pinto ◽  
Michał Rychłowski ◽  
Małgorzata Lichocka ◽  
...  

Abstract Eukaryotic cells rely on the accuracy and efficiency of vesicular traffic. In plants, disturbances in vesicular trafficking are well studied in quickly dividing root meristem cells or polar growing root hairs and pollen tubes. The development of the female gametophyte, a unique haploid reproductive structure located in the ovule, has received far less attention in studies of vesicular transport. Key molecules providing the specificity of vesicle formation and its subsequent recognition and fusion with the acceptor membrane are Rab proteins. Rabs are anchored to membranes by covalently linked geranylgeranyl group(s) that are added by the Rab geranylgeranyl transferase (RGT) enzyme. Here we show that Arabidopsis plants carrying mutations in the gene encoding the β-subunit of RGT (rgtb1) exhibit severely disrupted female gametogenesis and this effect is of sporophytic origin. Mutations in rgtb1 lead to internalization of the PIN1 and PIN3 proteins from the basal membranes to vesicles in provascular cells of the funiculus. Decreased transport of auxin out of the ovule is accompanied by auxin accumulation in tissue surrounding the growing gametophyte. In addition, female gametophyte development arrests at the uni- or binuclear stage in a significant portion of the rgtb1 ovules. These observations suggest that communication between the sporophyte and the developing female gametophyte relies on Rab-dependent vesicular traffic of the PIN1 and PIN3 transporters and auxin efflux out of the ovule.

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (15) ◽  
pp. 7907
Author(s):  
Joanna Rojek ◽  
Matthew R. Tucker ◽  
Michał Rychłowski ◽  
Julita Nowakowska ◽  
Małgorzata Gutkowska

Auxin is a key regulator of plant development affecting the formation and maturation of reproductive structures. The apoplastic route of auxin transport engages influx and efflux facilitators from the PIN, AUX and ABCB families. The polar localization of these proteins and constant recycling from the plasma membrane to endosomes is dependent on Rab-mediated vesicular traffic. Rab proteins are anchored to membranes via posttranslational addition of two geranylgeranyl moieties by the Rab Geranylgeranyl Transferase enzyme (RGT), which consists of RGTA, RGTB and REP subunits. Here, we present data showing that seed development in the rgtb1 mutant, with decreased vesicular transport capacity, is disturbed. Both pre- and post-fertilization events are affected, leading to a decrease in seed yield. Pollen tube recognition at the stigma and its guidance to the micropyle is compromised and the seed coat forms incorrectly. Excess auxin in the sporophytic tissues of the ovule in the rgtb1 plants leads to an increased tendency of autonomous endosperm formation in unfertilized ovules and influences embryo development in a maternal sporophytic manner. The results show the importance of vesicular traffic for sexual reproduction in flowering plants, and highlight RGTB1 as a key component of sporophytic-filial signaling.


2015 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael S. Brito ◽  
Lígia T. Bertolino ◽  
Viviane Cossalter ◽  
Andréa C. Quiapim ◽  
Henrique C. DePaoli ◽  
...  

PLoS ONE ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. e66148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Ceccato ◽  
Simona Masiero ◽  
Dola Sinha Roy ◽  
Stefano Bencivenga ◽  
Irma Roig-Villanova ◽  
...  

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12298
Author(s):  
Maokai Yan ◽  
Xingyue Jin ◽  
Yanhui Liu ◽  
Huihuang Chen ◽  
Tao Ye ◽  
...  

Background Sugarcane (Saccharum spontaneum L.), the major sugar and biofuel feedstock crop, is cultivated mainly by vegetative propagation worldwide due to the infertility of female reproductive organs resulting in the reduction of quality and output of sugar. Deciphering the gene expression profile during ovule development will improve our understanding of the complications underlying sexual reproduction in sugarcane. Optimal reference genes are essential for elucidating the expression pattern of a given gene by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Method In this study, based on transcriptome data obtained from sugarcane ovule, eighteen candidate reference genes were identified, cloned, and their expression levels were evaluated across five developmental stages ovule (AC, MMC, Meiosis, Mitosis, and Mature). Results Our results indicated that FAB2 and MOR1 were the most stably expressed genes during sugarcane female gametophyte development. Moreover, two genes, cell cycle-related genes REC8 and CDK, were selected, and their feasibility was validated. This study provides important insights into the female gametophyte development of sugarcane and reports novel reference genes for gene expression research on sugarcane sexual reproduction.


Botany ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (11) ◽  
pp. 1343-1353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rocio E. Escobar-Guzmán ◽  
Flor Zamudio Hernández ◽  
Katia Gil Vega ◽  
June Simpson

Agave tequilana Weber var. azul is the raw material used in the production of tequila. This species has a life cycle of approximately 6–8 years; however, owing to the practice of removing the inflorescence to conserve accumulated sugar reserves, the main form of reproduction is asexual. Little attention has, therefore, been paid to the process of flowering and the factors leading to low levels of germination and seedling viability have not been investigated in detail. The objective of this study was to document gametophyte development, seed production, and germination in A. tequilana under different pollination treatments and in an interspecies cross with Agave americana L. Seed production and germination efficiency was low for both A. tequilana and A. americana under the different pollination treatments, although interspecies crosses did produce some viable seeds. Development of the male gametophyte in both species is of the successive type, producing pollen grains with dicolpate morphology. Female gametophyte development is of the Polygonum monosporic type. The results obtained suggest that genetic incompatibility, inbreeding effects, factors affecting pollen development and germination, or errors in female gametophyte development may contribute to the low fertility observed for A. tequilana and A. americana.


2013 ◽  
Vol 56 (6) ◽  
pp. 345-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ai Guo ◽  
Cai Xia Zheng

1989 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 519 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Carapetian ◽  
EA Rupert

Development of safflower ovules and female gametophytes was compared in fertile and genetically sterile F2 and backcross segregants from the cross between 'US-10' and '57-147' genotypes. Fertile plants formed normal anatropous ovules with eight-nucleate embryo sacs, typical of the angiosperms. One week before anthesis, the eight-nucleate embryo sac is well developed and undergoes rapid elongation and expansion during the 24 h prior to anthesis, accompanied by a doubling in length of the florets. Sterile plants also formed normal ovules, but apparently with a delayed initiation of meiosis which was subsequently arrested at Metaphase I. Embryo sacs did not form in sterile florets except for rare observations of uninucleate embryo sacs which began to degenerate before anthesis. The integumentary tapetum which normally developed upon completion of meiosis in fertile plants, was well developed during Prophase I of megasporogenesis in sterile plants. This observation suggests that cell differentiation and development of this nutritive jacket is basically controlled by the age of the ovules rather than initiated by appearance of the functional megaspore. Failure of both female and male gametogenesis seems to result from interaction of three independently segregating genes.


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