Transcriptomic and Proteomic Insights into Amborella trichopoda Male Gametophyte Functions

Heat stress at the bicellular stage inhibits sperm cell development and transport into pollen tubes

For successful double fertilization in flowering plants (angiosperms), pollen tubes deliver 2 nonmotile sperm cells toward female gametes (egg and central cell, respectively). Heatwaves, especially during the reproduction period, threaten male gametophyte (pollen) development, resulting in severe yield losses. Using maize (Zea mays) as a crop and grass model system, we found strong seed set reduction when moderate heat stress was applied for 2 d during the uni- and bicellular stages of pollen development. We show that heat stress accelerates pollen development and impairs pollen germination capabilities when applied at the unicellular stage. Heat stress at the bicellular stage impairs sperm cell development and transport into pollen tubes. To understand the course of the latter defects, we used marker lines and analyzed the transcriptomes of isolated sperm cells. Heat stress affected the expression of genes associated with transcription, RNA processing and translation, DNA replication, and the cell cycle. This included the genes encoding centromeric histone 3 (CENH3) and α-tubulin. Most genes that were misregulated encode proteins involved in the transition from metaphase to anaphase during pollen mitosis II. Heat stress also activated spindle assembly check point and meta- to anaphase transition genes in sperm cells. In summary, misregulation of the identified genes during heat stress at the bicellular stage results in sperm cell development and transport defects ultimately leading to sterility.

Microspore-expressed SCULP1 is required for p-coumaroylation of sporopollenin, exine integrity, and pollen development in wheat

Sporopollenin is one of the most structurally sophisticated and chemically recalcitrant biopolymers. In higher plants, sporopollenin is the dominant component of exine, the outer wall of pollen grains, and contains covalently linked phenolics that protect the male gametes from harsh environments. Although much has been learned about the biosynthesis of sporopollenin precursors in the tapetum, the nutritive cell layer surrounding developing microspores, little is known about how the biopolymer is assembled on the microspore surface. We identified SCULP1 (SKS clade universal in pollen) as a seed plant conserved clade of the multicopper oxidase family. We showed that SCULP1 in common wheat (Triticum aestivum) is specifically expressed in the microspore when sporopollenin assembly takes place, localized to the developing exine, and binds p-coumaric acid in vitro. Through genetic, biochemical, and 3D reconstruction analyses, we demonstrated that SCULP1 is required for p-coumaroylation of sporopollenin, exine integrity, and pollen viability. Moreover, we found that SCULP1 accumulation is compromised in thermosensitive genic male sterile wheat lines and its expression partially restored exine integrity and male fertility. These findings identified a key microspore protein in autonomous sporopollenin polymer assembly, thereby laying the foundation for elucidating and engineering sporopollenin biosynthesis.

SEC1A is a major Arabidopsis Sec1/Munc18 gene in vesicle trafficking during pollen tube tip growth

Pollen tubes (PTs) grow by the targeted secretion of new cell wall material to their expanding tip region. Sec1/Munc18 (SM) proteins promote membrane fusion through regulation of the SNARE complex. We have previously shown that disruption of protein glycosylation in the Arabidopsis thaliana hpat1 hpat3 double mutant leads to PT growth defects that can be suppressed by reducing secretion. Here, we identified five point mutant alleles of the SM protein SEC1A as hpat1/3 suppressors. The suppressors increased seed set, reduced PT growth defects and reduced the rate of glycoprotein secretion. In the absence of the hpat mutations, sec1a reduced pollen germination and PT elongation producing shorter and wider PTs. Consistent with a defect in membrane fusion, sec1a PTs accumulated secretory vesicles. Though sec1a had significantly reduced male transmission, homozygous sec1a plants maintained full seed set, demonstrating that SEC1A was ultimately dispensable for pollen fertility. However, when combined with a mutation in another SEC1-like SM gene, keule, pollen fertility was totally abolished. Mutation in sec1b, the final member of the Arabidopsis SEC1 clade, did not enhance the sec1a phenotype. Thus, SEC1A is the major SM protein promoting pollen germination and tube elongation, but in its absence KEULE can partially supply this activity. When we examined the expression of the SM protein family in other species for which pollen expression data were available, we found that at least one Sec1-like protein was highly expressed in pollen samples, suggesting a conserved role in pollen fertility in other species.

Comparative transcriptomic analysis reveals conserved programmes underpinning organogenesis and reproduction in land plants

The appearance of plant organs mediated the explosive radiation of land plants, which shaped the biosphere and allowed the establishment of terrestrial animal life. The evolution of organs and immobile gametes required the coordinated acquisition of novel gene functions, the co-option of existing genes and the development of novel regulatory programmes. However, no large-scale analyses of genomic and transcriptomic data have been performed for land plants. To remedy this, we generated gene expression atlases for various organs and gametes of ten plant species comprising bryophytes, vascular plants, gymnosperms and flowering plants. A comparative analysis of the atlases identified hundreds of organ- and gamete-specific orthogroups and revealed that most of the specific transcriptomes are significantly conserved. Interestingly, our results suggest that co-option of existing genes is the main mechanism for evolving new organs. In contrast to female gametes, male gametes showed a high number and conservation of specific genes, which indicates that male reproduction is highly specialized. The expression atlas capturing pollen development revealed numerous transcription factors and kinases essential for pollen biogenesis and function.

Comparative analyses of angiosperm secretomes identify apoplastic pollen tube functions and novel secreted peptides

KEY MESSAGE

Analyses of secretomes of in vitro grown pollen tubes from Amborella, maize and tobacco identified many components of processes associated with the cell wall, signaling and metabolism as well as novel small secreted peptides. Flowering plants (angiosperms) generate pollen grains that germinate on the stigma and produce tubes to transport their sperm cells cargo deep into the maternal reproductive tissues toward the ovules for a double fertilization process. During their journey, pollen tubes secrete many proteins (secreted proteome or secretome) required, for example, for communication with the maternal reproductive tissues, to build a solid own cell wall that withstands their high turgor pressure while softening simultaneously maternal cell wall tissue. The composition and species specificity or family specificity of the pollen tube secretome is poorly understood. Here, we provide a suitable method to obtain the pollen tube secretome from in vitro grown pollen tubes of the basal angiosperm Amborella trichopoda (Amborella) and the Poaceae model maize. The previously published secretome of tobacco pollen tubes was used as an example of eudicotyledonous plants in this comparative study. The secretome of the three species is each strongly different compared to the respective protein composition of pollen grains and tubes. In Amborella and maize, about 40% proteins are secreted by the conventional "classic" pathway and 30% by unconventional pathways. The latter pathway is expanded in tobacco. Proteins enriched in the secretome are especially involved in functions associated with the cell wall, cell surface, energy and lipid metabolism, proteolysis and redox processes. Expansins, pectin methylesterase inhibitors and RALFs are enriched in maize, while tobacco secretes many proteins involved, for example, in proteolysis and signaling. While the majority of proteins detected in the secretome occur also in pollen grains and pollen tubes, and correlate in the number of mapped peptides with relative gene expression levels, some novel secreted small proteins were identified. Moreover, the identification of secreted proteins containing pro-peptides indicates that these are processed in the apoplast. In conclusion, we provide a proteome resource from three distinct angiosperm clades that can be utilized among others to study the localization, abundance and processing of known secreted proteins and help to identify novel pollen tube secreted proteins for functional studies.