1
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Garlovsky MD, Whittington E, Albrecht T, Arenas-Castro H, Castillo DM, Keais GL, Larson EL, Moyle LC, Plakke M, Reifová R, Snook RR, Ålund M, Weber AAT. Synthesis and Scope of the Role of Postmating Prezygotic Isolation in Speciation. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2024; 16:a041429. [PMID: 38151330 PMCID: PMC11444258 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
How barriers to gene flow arise and are maintained are key questions in evolutionary biology. Speciation research has mainly focused on barriers that occur either before mating or after zygote formation. In comparison, postmating prezygotic (PMPZ) isolation-a barrier that acts after gamete release but before zygote formation-is less frequently investigated but may hold a unique role in generating biodiversity. Here we discuss the distinctive features of PMPZ isolation, including the primary drivers and molecular mechanisms underpinning PMPZ isolation. We then present the first comprehensive survey of PMPZ isolation research, revealing that it is a widespread form of prezygotic isolation across eukaryotes. The survey also exposes obstacles in studying PMPZ isolation, in part attributable to the challenges involved in directly measuring PMPZ isolation and uncovering its causal mechanisms. Finally, we identify outstanding knowledge gaps and provide recommendations for improving future research on PMPZ isolation. This will allow us to better understand the nature of this often-neglected reproductive barrier and its contribution to speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin D Garlovsky
- Applied Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden 01062, Germany
| | | | - Tomas Albrecht
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno 60365, Czech Republic
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague 128 00, Czech Republic
| | - Henry Arenas-Castro
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Queensland, Australia
| | - Dean M Castillo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Miami University, Hamilton, Ohio 45011, USA
| | - Graeme L Keais
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Erica L Larson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado 80208, USA
| | - Leonie C Moyle
- Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA
| | - Melissa Plakke
- Division of Science, Mathematics, and Technology, Governors State University, University Park, Illinois 60484, USA
| | - Radka Reifová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague 128 00, Czech Republic
| | - Rhonda R Snook
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm 109 61, Sweden
| | - Murielle Ålund
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75236, Sweden
| | - Alexandra A-T Weber
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf 8600, Zürich, Switzerland
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2
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Cheung AY. FERONIA: A Receptor Kinase at the Core of a Global Signaling Network. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 75:345-375. [PMID: 38424067 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-102820-103424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Initially identified as a key regulator of female fertility in Arabidopsis, the FERONIA (FER) receptor kinase is now recognized as crucial for almost all aspects of plant growth and survival. FER partners with a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored protein of the LLG family to act as coreceptors on the cell surface. The FER-LLG coreceptor interacts with different RAPID ALKALINIZATION FACTOR (RALF) peptide ligands to function in various growth and developmental processes and to respond to challenges from the environment. The RALF-FER-LLG signaling modules interact with molecules in the cell wall, cell membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus and mediate an interwoven signaling network. Multiple FER-LLG modules, each anchored by FER or a FER-related receptor kinase, have been studied, illustrating the functional diversity and the mechanistic complexity of the FER family signaling modules. The challenges going forward are to distill from this complexity the unifying schemes where possible and attain precision and refinement in the knowledge of critical details upon which future investigations can be built. By focusing on the extensively characterized FER, this review provides foundational information to guide the next phase of research on FER in model as well as crop species and potential applications for improving plant growth and resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Y Cheung
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Molecular Biology Program, Plant Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA;
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3
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Feller AF, Burgin G, Lewis N, Prabhu R, Hopkins R. Mismatch between pollen and pistil size causes asymmetric mechanical reproductive isolation across Phlox species. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.08.593106. [PMID: 38766021 PMCID: PMC11100701 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.08.593106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
In flowering plants, pollen-pistil interactions can serve as an important barrier to reproduction between species. As the last barrier to reproduction before fertilization, interactions between these reproductive organs are both complex and important for determining a suitable mate. Here, we test whether differences in style length generate a post-mating prezygotic mechanical barrier between five species of perennial Phlox wildflowers with geographically overlapping distributions. We perform controlled pairwise reciprocal crosses between three species with long styles and two species with short styles to assess crossing success (seed set). We find that heterospecific seed set is broadly reduced compared to conspecific cross success and reveal a striking asymmetry in heterospecific crosses between species with different style lengths. To determine the mechanism underlying this asymmetric reproductive isolating barrier we assess pollen tube growth in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrate that pollen tubes of short-styled species do not grow long enough to reach the ovaries of long-styled species. We find that short-styled species also have smaller pollen and that both within and between species pollen diameter is highly correlated with pollen tube length. Our results support the hypothesis that the small pollen of short-styled species lacks resources to grow pollen tubes long enough to access the ovaries of the long-styled species, resulting in an asymmetrical, mechanical barrier to reproduction. Such mechanisms, combined with additional pollen-pistil incompatibilities, may be particularly important for closely related species in geographic proximity that share pollinators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna F. Feller
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology & Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Grace Burgin
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology & Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Nia Lewis
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology & Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Rohan Prabhu
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology & Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Robin Hopkins
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology & Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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4
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Zhong S, Zhao P, Peng X, Li HJ, Duan Q, Cheung AY. From gametes to zygote: Mechanistic advances and emerging possibilities in plant reproduction. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 195:4-35. [PMID: 38431529 PMCID: PMC11060694 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Zhong
- State Key Laboratory for Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Peng Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Xiongbo Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Hong-Ju Li
- Key Laboratory of Seed Innovation, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Center for Molecular Agrobiology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Qiaohong Duan
- College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, Shandong 271018, China
| | - Alice Y Cheung
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Plant Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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5
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Baillie AL, Sloan J, Qu LJ, Smith LM. Signalling between the sexes during pollen tube reception. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 29:343-354. [PMID: 37640641 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Plant reproduction is a complex, highly-coordinated process in which a single, male germ cell grows through the maternal reproductive tissues to reach and fertilise the egg cell. Focussing on Arabidopsis thaliana, we review signalling between male and female partners which is important throughout the pollen tube journey, especially during pollen tube reception at the ovule. Numerous receptor kinases and their coreceptors are implicated in signal perception in both the pollen tube and synergid cells at the ovule entrance, and several specific peptide and carbohydrate ligands for these receptors have recently been identified. Clarifying the interplay between these signals and the downstream responses they instigate presents a challenge for future research and may help to illuminate broader principles of plant cell-cell communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice L Baillie
- Plants, Photosynthesis, and Soil Research Cluster, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Jen Sloan
- Plants, Photosynthesis, and Soil Research Cluster, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Li-Jia Qu
- State Key Laboratory for Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences at College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Lisa M Smith
- Plants, Photosynthesis, and Soil Research Cluster, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
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6
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Ke M, Si H, Qi Y, Sun Y, El-Kassaby YA, Wu Z, Li S, Liu K, Yu H, Hu R, Li Y. Characterization of pollen tube development in distant hybridization of Chinese cork oak (Quercus variabilis L.). PLANTA 2023; 258:110. [PMID: 37910223 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-023-04265-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION This work mainly found that the stigma and style of Q. variabilis did not completely lose the specific recognition towards heterologous pollen, a fact which is different from previous studies. Quercus is the foundation species in the Northern Hemisphere, with extreme prevalence for interspecific hybridization. It is not yet entirely understood whether or how the pollen tube-female tissue interaction contributes to the "extensive hybridization" in oaks. Pollen storage conditions correlate with distant hybridization. We conducted hybridization experiments with Q. variabilis as female and Q. variabilis and Q. mongolica as male parents. And the differences in pollen tube (PT) development between intra- and distant interspecific hybridization were studied by fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Our results showed that -20 °C allowed pollen of both species to maintain some viability. Both Q. variabilis and Q. mongolica pollen germinated profusely on the stigmas. SEM results indicated that in the intraspecific hybridization, Q. variabilis pollen started to germinate at 6 h after pollination (hap), PTs elongated significantly at 12 hap, and entered the stigma at 24 hap. By contrast, Q. mongolica pollen germinated at 15 hap, and the PTs entered the stigma at 27 hap. By fluorescence microscopical studies it was observed that some PTs of Q. variabilis gathered at the style-joining at 96 hap, unlike the Q. mongolica which reached the style junction at 144 hap. The above results indicate that the abundant germination of heterologous pollen (HP) on the stigma and the "Feeble specificity recognition" of the stigma and transmitting tract to HP may create opportunities for the "extensive hybridization" of oaks. This work provides a sexual developmental reference for clarifying the causes of Quercus "extensive hybridization".
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Ke
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Engineering Technology Research Center of Black Locust of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Huayu Si
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Engineering Technology Research Center of Black Locust of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yongliang Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Engineering Technology Research Center of Black Locust of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yuhan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Engineering Technology Research Center of Black Locust of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yousry A El-Kassaby
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences Faculty of Forestry, The University of British Columbia, 2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Zhiyong Wu
- Beijing Green Space Maintenance and Management Service Centre, Beijing, 102200, China
| | - Shian Li
- Beijing Green Space Maintenance and Management Service Centre, Beijing, 102200, China
| | - Kelin Liu
- Beijing Green Space Maintenance and Management Service Centre, Beijing, 102200, China
| | - Hai Yu
- Experimental Centre of Forestry in North China, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 102399, China
| | - Ruiyang Hu
- Experimental Centre of Forestry in North China, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 102399, China
| | - Yun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Engineering Technology Research Center of Black Locust of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China.
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7
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Chaudhary A, Hsiao YC, Jessica Yeh FL, Wu HM, Cheung AY, Xu SL, Wang ZY. Brassinosteroid recruits FERONIA to safeguard cell expansion in Arabidopsis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.01.560400. [PMID: 37873480 PMCID: PMC10592874 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.01.560400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Plant cell expansion is driven by turgor pressure and regulated by hormones. How plant cells avoid cell wall rupture during hormone-induced cell expansion remains a mystery. Here we show that brassinosteroid (BR), while stimulating cell elongation, promotes the plasma membrane (PM) accumulation of the receptor kinase FERONIA (FER), which monitors cell wall damage and in turn attenuates BR-induced cell elongation to prevent cell rupture. The GSK3-like kinase BIN2 phosphorylates FER, resulting in reduced FER accumulation and translocation from endoplasmic reticulum to PM. By inactivating BIN2, BR signaling promotes dephosphorylation and increases PM accumulation of FER, thereby enhancing the surveillance of cell wall integrity. Our study reveals a vital signaling circuit that coordinates hormone signaling with mechanical sensing to prevent cell bursting during hormone-induced cell expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajeet Chaudhary
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science; Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yu-Chun Hsiao
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science; Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Hen-Ming Wu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts; Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Alice Y. Cheung
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts; Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Shou-Ling Xu
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science; Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Zhi-Yong Wang
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science; Stanford, CA, USA
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8
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Ramos-Pulido J, de Folter S. Organogenic events during gynoecium and fruit development in Arabidopsis. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 75:102440. [PMID: 37633079 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Angiosperms are the most successful group of land plants. This success is mainly due to the gynoecium, the innermost whorl of the flower. In Arabidopsis, the gynoecium is a syncarpic structure formed by two congenitally fused carpels. At the fusion edges of the carpels, the carpel margin meristem forms. This quasi-meristem is important for medial-tissue development, including the ovules. After the double fertilization, both the seeds and fruit begin to develop. Due to the importance of seeds and fruits as major food sources worldwide, it has been an important task for the scientific community to study gynoecium development. In this review, we present the most recent advances in Arabidopsis gynoecium patterning, as well as some questions that remain unanswered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Ramos-Pulido
- Unidad de Genómica Avanzada (UGA-LANGEBIO), Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Irapuato CP 36824, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Stefan de Folter
- Unidad de Genómica Avanzada (UGA-LANGEBIO), Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Irapuato CP 36824, Guanajuato, Mexico.
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9
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Zhao W, Hou Q, Qi Y, Wu S, Wan X. Structural and molecular basis of pollen germination. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2023; 203:108042. [PMID: 37738868 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.108042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Pollen germination is a prerequisite for double fertilization of flowering plants. A comprehensive understanding of the structural and molecular basis of pollen germination holds great potential for crop yield improvement. The pollen aperture serves as the foundation for most plant pollen germination and pollen aperture formation involves the establishment of cellular polarity, the formation of distinct membrane domains, and the precise deposition of extracellular substances. Successful pollen germination requires precise material exchange and signal transduction between the pollen grain and the stigma. Recent cytological and mutant analysis of pollen germination process in Arabidopsis and rice has expanded our understanding of this biological process. However, the overall changes in germination site structure and energy-related metabolites during pollen germination remain to be further explored. This review summarizes and compares the recent advances in the processes of pollen aperture formation, pollen adhesion, hydration, and germination between eudicot Arabidopsis and monocot rice, and provides insights into the structural basis and molecular mechanisms underlying pollen germination process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhao
- Research Institute of Biology and Agriculture, Shunde Innovation School, University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Quancan Hou
- Research Institute of Biology and Agriculture, Shunde Innovation School, University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), Beijing, 100083, China; Zhongzhi International Institute of Agricultural Biosciences, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yuchen Qi
- Research Institute of Biology and Agriculture, Shunde Innovation School, University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Suowei Wu
- Research Institute of Biology and Agriculture, Shunde Innovation School, University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), Beijing, 100083, China; Zhongzhi International Institute of Agricultural Biosciences, Beijing, 100083, China; Beijing Engineering Laboratory of Main Crop Bio-Tech Breeding, Beijing Solidwill Sci-Tech Co. Ltd., Beijing, 100192, China.
| | - Xiangyuan Wan
- Research Institute of Biology and Agriculture, Shunde Innovation School, University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), Beijing, 100083, China; Zhongzhi International Institute of Agricultural Biosciences, Beijing, 100083, China; Beijing Engineering Laboratory of Main Crop Bio-Tech Breeding, Beijing Solidwill Sci-Tech Co. Ltd., Beijing, 100192, China.
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10
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Nasrallah JB. Stop and go signals at the stigma-pollen interface of the Brassicaceae. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 193:927-948. [PMID: 37423711 PMCID: PMC10517188 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- June B Nasrallah
- Section of Plant Biology, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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11
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Meng JG, Xu YJ, Wang WQ, Yang F, Chen SY, Jia PF, Yang WC, Li HJ. Central-cell-produced attractants control fertilization recovery. Cell 2023; 186:3593-3605.e12. [PMID: 37516107 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.06.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
Animal fertilization relies on hundreds of sperm racing toward the egg, whereas, in angiosperms, only two sperm cells are delivered by a pollen tube to the female gametes (egg cell and central cell) for double fertilization. However, unsuccessful fertilization under this one-pollen-tube design can be detrimental to seed production and plant survival. To mitigate this risk, unfertilized-gamete-controlled extra pollen tube entry has been evolved to bring more sperm cells and salvage fertilization. Despite its importance, the underlying molecular mechanism of this phenomenon remains unclear. In this study, we report that, in Arabidopsis, the central cell secretes peptides SALVAGER1 and SALVAGER2 in a directional manner to attract pollen tubes when the synergid-dependent attraction fails or is terminated by pollen tubes carrying infertile sperm cells. Moreover, loss of SALs impairs the fertilization recovery capacity of the ovules. Therefore, this research uncovers a female gamete-attraction system that salvages seed production for reproductive assurance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang-Guo Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yin-Jiao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wei-Qi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Fei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shu-Yan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Peng-Fei Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Wei-Cai Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hong-Ju Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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12
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Zhang R, Shi PT, Zhou M, Liu HZ, Xu XJ, Liu WT, Chen KM. Rapid alkalinization factor: function, regulation, and potential applications in agriculture. STRESS BIOLOGY 2023; 3:16. [PMID: 37676530 PMCID: PMC10442051 DOI: 10.1007/s44154-023-00093-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Rapid alkalinization factor (RALF) is widespread throughout the plant kingdom and controls many aspects of plant life. Current studies on the regulatory mechanism underlying RALF function mainly focus on Arabidopsis, but little is known about the role of RALF in crop plants. Here, we systematically and comprehensively analyzed the relation between RALF family genes from five important crops and those in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Simultaneously, we summarized the functions of RALFs in controlling growth and developmental behavior using conservative motifs as cues and predicted the regulatory role of RALFs in cereal crops. In conclusion, RALF has considerable application potential in improving crop yields and increasing economic benefits. Using gene editing technology or taking advantage of RALF as a hormone additive are effective way to amplify the role of RALF in crop plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Area, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Peng-Tao Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Area, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Min Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Area, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Huai-Zeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Area, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiao-Jing Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Area, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Wen-Ting Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Area, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Kun-Ming Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Area, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China.
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13
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Pollen Coat Proteomes of Arabidopsis thaliana, Arabidopsis lyrata, and Brassica oleracea Reveal Remarkable Diversity of Small Cysteine-Rich Proteins at the Pollen-Stigma Interface. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13010157. [PMID: 36671543 PMCID: PMC9856046 DOI: 10.3390/biom13010157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The pollen coat is the outermost domain of the pollen grain and is largely derived from the anther tapetum, which is a secretory tissue that degenerates late in pollen development. By being localised at the interface of the pollen-stigma interaction, the pollen coat plays a central role in mediating early pollination events, including molecular recognition. Amongst species of the Brassicaceae, a growing body of data has revealed that the pollen coat carries a range of proteins, with a number of small cysteine-rich proteins (CRPs) being identified as important regulators of the pollen-stigma interaction. By utilising a state-of-the-art liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) approach, rich pollen coat proteomic profiles were obtained for Arabidopsis thaliana, Arabidopsis lyrata, and Brassica oleracea, which greatly extended previous datasets. All three proteomes revealed a strikingly large number of small CRPs that were not previously reported as pollen coat components. The profiling also uncovered a wide range of other protein families, many of which were enriched in the pollen coat proteomes and had functions associated with signal transduction, cell walls, lipid metabolism and defence. These proteomes provide an excellent source of molecular targets for future investigations into the pollen-stigma interaction and its potential evolutionary links to plant-pathogen interactions.
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Zhang X, Yu X, Shi C, Dresselhaus T, Sun MX. Do egg cell-secreted aspartic proteases promote gamete attachment? JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 65:3-6. [PMID: 36625409 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xuecheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Xiaobo Yu
- Bamboo Diseases and Pest Control and Resources Development Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Life Science, Leshan Normal University, Leshan, 614000, China
| | - Ce Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Thomas Dresselhaus
- Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, 31 93053, Germany
| | - Meng-Xiang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
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