Molecular control of male reproductive development and pollen fertility in rice

Identification of male-fertility gene AsaNRF1 and molecular marker development in cultivated garlic (Allium sativum L.)

Garlic cultivars are predominantly characterized by their sterility and reliance on asexual reproduction, which have traditionally prevented the use of hybrid breeding for cultivar improvement in garlic. Our investigation has revealed a notable exception in the garlic line G398, which demonstrates the ability to produce fertile pollen. Notably, at the seventh stage of anther development, callose degradation in the sterile line G390 was impeded, while G398 exhibited normal callose degradation. Transcriptome profiling revealed an enhanced expression of the callose-degrading gene, AsaNRF1, in the mature flower buds of the fertile line G398 compared to the sterile line G390. An insertion in the promoter of AsaNRF1 in G390 was identified, which led to its reduced expression at the tetrad stage and consequently delayed callose degradation, potentially resulting in the male sterility of G390. A discriminatory marker was developed to distinguish between fertile G398 and sterile G390, facilitating the assessment of male fertility in garlic germplasm resources. This study introduces a practical approach to harnessing garlic hybridization, which can further facilitate the breeding of new cultivars and the creation of novel male-fertile garlic germplasm using modern molecular biology methods.

Rice transcriptional repressor OsTIE1 controls anther dehiscence and male sterility by regulating JA biosynthesis

Proper anther dehiscence is essential for successful pollination and reproduction in angiosperms, and jasmonic acid (JA) is crucial for the process. However, the mechanisms underlying the tight regulation of JA biosynthesis during anther development remain largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the rice (Oryza sativa L.) ethylene-response factor-associated amphiphilic repression (EAR) motif-containing protein TEOSINTE BRANCHED1/CYCLOIDEA/PROLIFERATING CELL FACTORS (TCP) INTERACTOR CONTAINING EAR MOTIF PROTEIN1 (OsTIE1) tightly regulates JA biosynthesis by repressing TCP transcription factor OsTCP1/PCF5 during anther development. The loss of OsTIE1 function in Ostie1 mutants causes male sterility. The Ostie1 mutants display inviable pollen, early stamen filament elongation, and precocious anther dehiscence. In addition, JA biosynthesis is activated earlier and JA abundance is precociously increased in Ostie1 anthers. OsTIE1 is expressed during anther development, and OsTIE1 is localized in nuclei and has transcriptional repression activity. OsTIE1 directly interacts with OsTCP1, and overexpression of OsTCP1 caused early anther dehiscence resembling that of Ostie1. JA biosynthesis genes including rice LIPOXYGENASE are regulated by the OsTIE1-OsTCP1 complex. Our findings reveal that the OsTIE1-OsTCP1 module plays a critical role in anther development by finely tuning JA biosynthesis and provide a foundation for the generation of male sterile plants for hybrid seed production.

Arabidopsis HAPLESS13/AP-1µ is critical for pollen sac formation and tapetal function

The production of excess and viable pollen grains is critical for reproductive success of flowering plants. Pollen grains are produced within anthers, the male reproductive organ whose development involves precisely controlled cell differentiation, division, and intercellular communication. In Arabidopsis thaliana, specification of an archesporial cell (AC) at four corners of a developing anther, followed by programmed cell divisions, generates four pollen sacs, walled by four cell layers among which the tapetum is in close contact with developing microspores. Tapetum secretes callose-dissolving enzymes to release microspores at early stages and undergoes programmed cell death (PCD) to deliver nutrients and signals for microspore development at later stages. Except for transcription factors, plasma membrane (PM)-associated and secretory peptides have also been demonstrated to mediate anther development. Adaptor protein complexes (AP) recruit both cargos and coat proteins during vesicle trafficking. Arabidopsis AP-1µ/HAPLESS13 (HAP13) is a core component of AP-1 for protein sorting at the trans-Golgi network/early endosomes (TGN/EE). We report here that Arabidopsis HAP13 is critical for pollen sac formation and for sporophytic control of pollen production. Functional loss of HAP13 causes a reduction in pollen sac number. It also results in the dysfunction of tapetum such that secretory function of tapetum at early stages and PCD of tapetum at later stages are both compromised. We further show that the expression of SPL, the polar distribution of auxin maximum, as well as the asymmetric distribution of PIN1 are interfered in hap13 anthers, which in combination may lead to male sterility in hap13.

Dose effects of restorer gene modulate pollen fertility in cotton CMS-D2 restorer lines via auxin signaling and flavonoid biosynthesis

KEY MESSAGE

Dose effects of Rf1 gene regulated retrieval mechanism of pollen fertility for CMS-D2 cotton. Cytoplasmic male sterility conditioned by Gossypium harknessii cytoplasm (CMS-D2) is an economical pollination control system for producing hybrid cotton seeds compared to artificial and chemical emasculation methods. However, the unstable restoring ability of restorer lines is a main barrier in the large-scale application of "three-line" hybrid cotton in China. Our phenotypic investigation determined that the homozygous Rf1Rf1 allelic genotype had a stronger ability to generate fertile pollen than the heterozygous Rf1rf1 allelic genotype. To decipher the genetic mechanisms that control the differential levels of pollen fertility, an integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis was performed at two environments using pollen grains of four cotton genotypes differing in Rf1 alleles or cytoplasm. Totally 5,391 differential metabolite features were detected, and 369 specific differential metabolites (DMs) were identified between homozygous and heterozygous Rf1 allelic genotypes with CMS-D2 cytoplasm. In addition, transcriptome analysis identified 2,490 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 96 unique hub DEGs with dynamic regulation in this comparative combination. Further integrated analyses revealed that several key DEGs and DMs involved in indole biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, and sugar metabolism had strong network linkage with fertility restoration. In vitro application of auxin analogue NAA and inhibitor Auxinole confirmed that over-activated auxin signaling might inhibit pollen development, whereas suppressing auxin signaling partially promoted pollen development in CMS-D2 cotton. Our results provide new insight into how the dosage effects of the Rf1 gene regulate pollen fertility of CMS-D2 cotton.

Non-coding RNAs-mediated environmental surveillance determines male fertility in plants

Plants are continuously exposed to environmental stresses leading to significant yield losses. With the changing climatic conditions, the intensity and duration of these stresses are expected to increase, posing a severe threat to crop productivity worldwide. Male gametogenesis is one of the most sensitive developmental stages. Exposure to environmental stresses during this stage leads to male sterility and yield loss. Elucidating the underlying molecular mechanism of environment-affected male sterility is essential to address this challenge. High-throughput RNA sequencing studies, loss-of-function phenotypes of sRNA biogenesis genes and functional genomics studies with non-coding RNAs have started to unveil the roles of small RNAs, long non-coding RNAs and the complex regulatory interactions between them in regulating male fertility under different growth regimes. Here, we discuss the current understanding of the non-coding RNA-mediated environmental stress surveillance and regulation of male fertility in plants. The candidate ncRNAs emerging from these studies can be leveraged to generate environment-sensitive male sterile lines for hybrid breeding or mitigate the impact of climate change on male fertility, as the situation demands.

Loss of Function of the RRMF Domain in OsROS1a Causes Sterility in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

For crop seed production, the development of anthers and male fertility are the main agronomic traits and key biological processes for flowering plants. Active DNA demethylation regulates many plant developmental processes and is ensured by 5-meC DNA glycosylase enzymes. To find out the role of OsROS1a, OsROS1a gene editing mutants were generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The osros1a mutants had shrink spikelets, smaller anthers and pollen grains, and were not stained by iodine staining showing a significant reduction in total soluble sugar and starch contents as compared to wildtype (WT), which caused complete male sterility. Similarly, the expression of genes involved in pollen and anther development was decreased in osros1a mutants as compared to WT. Furthermore, bisulfite sequencing showed that the CG and CHG methylation of the OsPKS2 gene promoter was significantly increased in the osros1a mutant, which caused a reduced expression of OsPKS2 in osros1a mutants. DNA methylation of the TDR gene promoter was similar between WT and osros1a mutants, indicating that the DNA methylation effect by OsROS1a was gene specific. The expression of OsROS1a in the mutants was not changed, but it produced a frame-shift mutation to truncate the Pem-CXXC and RRMF domains. Combined with previous studies, our findings suggested that the RRMF domain in OsROS1a is the functional domain and loss of RRMF for OsROS1a causes sterility in rice.

Conjunctive Analyses of BSA-Seq and BSR-Seq Unveil the Msβ-GAL and MsJMT as Key Candidate Genes for Cytoplasmic Male Sterility in Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

Knowing the molecular mechanism of male sterility in alfalfa is important to utilize the heterosis more effectively. However, the molecular mechanisms of male sterility in alfalfa are still unclear. In this study, the bulked segregant analysis (BSA) and bulked segregant RNA-seq (BSR) were performed with F2 separation progeny to study the molecular mechanism of male sterility in alfalfa. The BSA-seq analysis was located in a candidate region on chromosome 5 containing 626 candidate genes which were associated with male sterility in alfalfa, while the BSR-seq analysis filtered seven candidate DEGs related to male sterility, and these candidate genes including EF-Tu, β-GAL, CESA, PHGDH, and JMT. The conjunctive analyses of BSR and BSA methods revealed that the genes of Msβ-GAL and MsJMT are the common detected candidate genes involved in male sterility in alfalfa. Our research provides a theory basis for further study of the molecular mechanism of male sterility in alfalfa and significant information for the genetic breeding of Medicago sativa.

Transcriptome profiling of flower buds of male-sterile lines provides new insights into male sterility mechanism in alfalfa

BACKGROUND

The use of heterosis to produce hybrid seeds is a challenge to breeding for improved crop yield. In previous studies, we isolated a male sterile alfalfa hybrid and successfully obtained a genetically stable alfalfa male sterile line through backcrossing, henceforth named MS-4. In this study, we used RNA-seq technology to analyze the transcriptome profiles of the male sterile line (MS-4) and the male fertile line (MF) of alfalfa to elucidate the mechanism of male sterility.

RESULTS

We screened a total of 11,812 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from both MS-4 and MF lines at three different stages of anther development. Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses revealed that these DEGs are mainly involved in processes such as energy metabolism, lipid and amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, in addition to cell synthesis and aging. The results from protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis showed that the ribosomal protein (MS.Gene25178) was the core gene in the network. We also found that transcriptional regulation was an influential factor in the development of anthers.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings provide new insights into understanding of the fertility changes in the male sterile (MS-4) of alfalfa.

Overexpression of sesame polyketide synthase A leads to abnormal pollen development in Arabidopsis

BACKGROUND

Sesame is a great reservoir of bioactive constituents and unique antioxidant components. It is widely used for its nutritional and medicinal value. The expanding demand for sesame seeds is putting pressure on sesame breeders to develop high-yielding varieties. A hybrid breeding strategy based on male sterility is one of the most effective ways to increase the crop yield. To date, little is known about the genes and mechanism underlying sesame male fertility. Therefore, studies are being conducted to identify and functionally characterize key candidate genes involved in sesame pollen development. Polyketide synthases (PKSs) are critical enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of sporopollenin, the primary component of pollen exine. Their in planta functions are being investigated for applications in crop breeding.

RESULTS

In this study, we cloned the sesame POLYKETIDE SYNTHASE A (SiPKSA) and examined its function in male sterility. SiPKSA was specifically expressed in sesame flower buds, and its expression was significantly higher in sterile sesame anthers than in fertile anthers during the tetrad and microspore development stages. Furthermore, overexpression of SiPKSA in Arabidopsis caused male sterility in transgenic plants. Ultrastructural observation showed that the pollen grains of SiPKSA-overexpressing plants contained few cytoplasmic inclusions and exhibited an abnormal pollen wall structure, with a thicker exine layer compared to the wild type. In agreement with this, the expression of a set of sporopollenin biosynthesis-related genes and the contents of their fatty acids and phenolics were significantly altered in anthers of SiPKSA-overexpressing plants compared with wild type during anther development.

CONCLUSION

These findings highlighted that overexpression of SiPKSA in Arabidopsis might cause male sterility through defective pollen wall formation. Moreover, they suggested that SiPKSA modulates vibrant pollen development via sporopollenin biosynthesis, and a defect in its regulation may induce male sterility. Therefore, genetic manipulation of SiPKSA might promote hybrid breeding in sesame and other crop species.

The GA-DELLA-OsMS188 module controls male reproductive development in rice

Pollen protects male sperm and allows flowering plants to adapt to diverse terrestrial environments, thereby leading to the rapid expansion of plants into new regions. The process of anther/pollen development is coordinately regulated by internal and external factors including hormones. Currently, the molecular mechanisms underlying gibberellin (GA)-mediated male reproductive development in plants remain unknown. We show here that rice DELLA/SLR1, which encodes the central negative regulator of GA signaling, is essential for rice anther development. The slr1-5 mutant exhibits premature programmed cell death of the tapetum, lacks Ubisch bodies, and has no exine and no mature pollen. SLR1 is mainly expressed in tapetal cells and tetrads, and is required for the appropriate expression of genes encoding key factors of pollen development, which are suggested to be OsMS188-targeted genes. OsMS188 is the main component in the essential genetic program of tapetum and pollen development. Further, we demonstrate that SLR1 interacts with OsMS188 to cooperatively activate the expression of the sporopollenin biosynthesis and transport-related genes CYP703A3, DPW, ABCG15 and PKS1 for rapid formation of pollen walls. Overall, the results of this study suggest that the GA hormonal signal is integrated into the anther genetic program and regulates rice anther development through the GA-DELLA-OsMS188 module.

POLLEN STERILITY, a novel suppressor of cell division, is required for timely tapetal programmed cell death in rice

Timely programmed cell death (PCD) of the tapetum supplying nutrients to microspores is a prerequisite for normal pollen development. Here we identified a unique mutant of rice (Oryza sativa L.), pollen sterility (post), which showed aborted pollens accompanied with extra-large husks. Due to failure of timely PCD of tapetal cells, post exhibited abnormal pollen wall patterning and defective pollen grains. By map-based cloning, we identified a causal gene, POST, encoding a novel protein which is ubiquitously localized in cells. RNA in situ hybridization showed that POST is highly detected in the tapetum and microspores at stages 8 and 9. Transcriptome analysis indicated that POST could function as an important regulator of the metabolic process involved in tapetal PCD. Compared with wild-type rice, post mutant has an increased cell number resulting from elevated expression of cell cycle associated genes in grain husks. Overexpression of POST inhibits grain size in wild type, while appropriate expression of POST in post mutant can recover the seed fertility but has little effect on the large grains, illustrating that fine-tuning of POST expression could be a potential strategy for rice yield improvement. The connection between cell division and cell death conferred by POST provides novel insights into the understanding of the tapetal PCD process.

A single nucleotide polymorphism in an R2R3 MYB transcription factor gene triggers the male sterility in soybean ms6 (Ames1)

KEY MESSAGE

Identification and functional analysis of the male sterile gene MS6 in Glycine max. Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is an important crop providing vegetable oil and protein. The male sterility-based hybrid breeding is a promising method for improving soybean yield to meet the globally growing demand. In this research, we identified a soybean genic male sterile locus, MS6, by combining the bulked segregant analysis sequencing method and the map-based cloning technology. MS6, highly expressed in anther, encodes an R2R3 MYB transcription factor (GmTDF1-1) that is homologous to Tapetal Development and Function 1, a key factor for anther development in Arabidopsis and rice. In male sterile ms6 (Ames1), the mutant allele contains a missense mutation, leading to the 76th leucine substituted by histidine in the DNA binding domain of GmTDF1-1. The expression of soybean MS6 under the control of the AtTDF1 promoter could rescue the male sterility of attdf1 but ms6 could not. Additionally, ms6 overexpression in wild-type Arabidopsis did not affect anther development. These results evidence that GmTDF1-1 is a functional TDF1 homolog and L76H disrupts its function. Notably, GmTDF1-1 shows 92% sequence identity with another soybean protein termed as GmTDF1-2, whose active expression also restored the fertility of attdf1. However, GmTDF1-2 is constitutively expressed at a very low level in soybean, and therefore, not able to compensate for the MS6 deficiency. Analysis of the TDF1-involved anther development regulatory pathway showed that expressions of the genes downstream of TDF1 are significantly suppressed in ms6, unveiling that GmTDF1-1 is a core transcription factor regulating soybean anther development.

OsEDM2L mediates m6 A of EAT1 transcript for proper alternative splicing and polyadenylation regulating rice tapetal degradation

N⁶ -methyladenosine (m⁶ A) modification affects the post-transcriptional regulation of eukaryotic gene expression, but the underlying mechanisms and their effects in plants remain largely unknown. Here, we report that the N⁶ -adenine methyltransferase-like domain-containing protein ENHANCED DOWNY MILDEW 2-LIKE (OsEDM2L) is essential for rice (Oryza sativa L.) anther development. The osedm2l knockout mutant showed delayed tapetal programmed cell death (PCD) and defective pollen development. OsEDM2L interacts with the transcription factors basic helix-loop-helix 142 and TAPETUM DEGENERATION RETARDATION to regulate the expression of ETERNAL TAPETUM 1 (EAT1), a positive regulator of tapetal PCD. Mutation of OsEDM2L altered the transcriptomic m⁶ A landscape, and caused a distinct m⁶ A modification of the EAT1 transcript leading to dysregulation of its alternative splicing and polyadenylation, followed by suppression of the EAT1 target genes OsAP25 and OsAP37 for tapetal PCD. Therefore, OsEDM2L is indispensable for proper messenger RNA m⁶ A modification in rice anther development.

Sesame β-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthase I regulates pollen development by interacting with an adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter in transgenic Arabidopsis

Male gametogenesis is an important biological process critical for seed formation and successful breeding. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of male fertility might facilitate hybrid breeding and increase crop yields. Sesame anther development is largely unknown. Here, a sesame β-ketoacyl-[acyl carrier protein] synthase I (SiKASI) was cloned and characterized as being involved in pollen and pollen wall development. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the spatiotemporal expression of SiKASI protein was altered in sterile sesame anthers compared with fertile anthers. In addition, SiKASI overexpression in Arabidopsis caused male sterility. Cytological observations revealed defective microspore and pollen wall development in SiKASI-overexpressing plants. Aberrant lipid droplets were detected in the tapetal cells of SiKASI-overexpressing plants, and most of the microspores of transgenic plants contained few cytoplasmic inclusions, with irregular pollen wall components embedded on their surfaces. Moreover, the fatty acid metabolism and the expression of a sporopollenin biosynthesis-related gene set were altered in the anthers of SiKASI-overexpressing plants. Additionally, SiKASI interacted with an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-binding cassette (ABC) transporter. Taken together, our findings suggested that SiKASI was crucial for fatty acid metabolism and might interact with ABCG18 for normal pollen fertility in Arabidopsis.

The rice VCS1 is identified as a molecular tool to mark and visualize the vegetative cell of pollen

Cell-type-specific markers are valuable tools to reveal developmental processes underlying cell differentiation during plant reproduction. Here we report the pollen vegetative cell marker gene VCS1 (Vegetative Cell Specific 1) of rice (Oryza sativa japonica). VCS1 was expressed specifically in late pollen and was predicted to encode a small FAF domain-containing protein of 205 amino acid residues (aa). The expression of reporter fusion proteins showed that VCS1 was exclusively targeted to the vegetative nucleus of pollen. Upon pollen germination, VCS1 lost vegetative nucleus localization, and appeared diffused in the vegetative cytoplasm of pollen grain but not in the pollen tube. T-DNA insertional mutation which disrupted the carboxyl-terminal 21 aa of VCS1 did not affect plant vegetative growth and pollen development, while destruction of VCS1 by CRISPR/Cas9 only moderately affect pollen viability. VCS1 is evolutionally conserved in monocots but appeared absent in dicotyledons. This study reveals a molecular tool for visualizing the vegetative cell of rice and possible other monocots, which has potential values in the genetic engineering of male-sterile lines.

Comparative transcriptome between male fertile and male sterile alfalfa (Medicago varia)

Male sterility is an important factor in improving crop quality and yield through heterosis breeding. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptomes of male fertile (MF) and male sterile (MS) alfalfa flower buds using the Illumina HiSeq™ 4000 platform. A total of 54.05 million clean reads were generated and assembled into 65,777 unigenes with an average length of 874 bp. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the MF and MS flowers at three stages of pollen development were identified, and there were 3832, 5678 and 5925 DEGs respectively in stages 1, 2 and 3. GO and KEGG functional enrichment analysis revealed 12, 12, 6 and 12 key branch-point genes involved in circadian rhythm, transcription factors, pollen development and flavonoid biosynthesis. Our findings provide novel insights into the mechanism of male sterility in alfalfa.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-021-01026-x.

A Heterozygous Genotype-Dependent Branched-Spike Wheat and the Potential Genetic Mechanism Revealed by Transcriptome Sequencing

Simple Summary

This paper reported a novel type of branched spike wheat from a natural mutation event. The branched spike was controlled by a heterozygous genotype. The genetic patterns showed that gametophytic male sterility probably contributed to the heterozygous genotype responsible for the branched spike trait. Expressional levels and Wheat FRIZZY PANICLE (WFZP) sequencing between the mutant with the branched spike and the wild-type with the normal spike showed that WFZP was not the causal gene for the branched spike. Data from transcriptome sequencing indicated that carbohydrate metabolism might be involved in the formation of the branched spike trait.

Abstract

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) spike architecture is an important trait associated with spike development and grain yield. Here, we report a naturally occurring wheat mutant with branched spikelets (BSL) from its wild-type YD-16, which has a normal spike trait and confers a moderate level of resistance to wheat Fusarium head blight (FHB). The lateral meristems positioned at the basal parts of the rachis node of the BSL mutant develop into ramified spikelets characterized as multiple spikelets. The BSL mutant shows three to four-day longer growth period but less 1000-grain weight than the wild type, and it becomes highly susceptible to FHB infection, indicating that the locus controlling the BSL trait may have undergone an intensively artificial and/or natural selection in modern breeding process. The self-pollinated descendants of the lines with the BSL trait consistently segregated with an equal ratio of branched and normal spikelets (NSL) wheat, and homozygotes with the BSL trait could not be achieved even after nine cycles of self-pollination. Distinct segregation patterns both from the self-pollinated progenies of the BSL plants and from the reciprocal crosses between the BSL plants with their sister NSL plants suggested that gametophytic male sterility was probably associated with the heterozygosity for the BSL trait. Transcriptome sequencing of the RNA bulks contrasting in the two types of spike trait at the heading stage indicated that the genes on chromosome 2D_S may be critical for the BSL trait formation since 329 out of 2540 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were located on that chromosome, and most of them were down-regulated. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that carbohydrate metabolism may be involved in the BSL trait expression. This work provides valuable clues into understanding development and domestication of wheat spike as well as the association of the BSL trait with FHB susceptibility.

RNA Sequencing Reveals Rice Genes Involved in Male Reproductive Development under Temperature Alteration

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important food crops, providing food for nearly half of the world population. Rice grain yields are affected by temperature changes. Temperature stresses, both low and high, affect male reproductive development, resulting in yield reduction. Thermosensitive genic male sterility (TGMS) rice is sterile at high temperature and fertile at low temperature conditions, facilitating hybrid production, and is a good model to study effects of temperatures on male development. Semithin sections of the anthers of a TGMS rice line under low (fertile) and high (sterile) temperature conditions showed differences starting from the dyad stage, suggesting that genes involved in male development play a role during postmeiotic microspore development. Using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq), transcriptional profiling of TGMS rice panicles at the dyad stage revealed 232 genes showing differential expression (DEGs) in a sterile, compared to a fertile, condition. Using qRT-PCR to study expression of 20 selected DEGs using panicles of TGMS and wild type rice plants grown under low and high temperature conditions, revealed that six out of the 20 selected genes may be unique to TGMS, while the other 14 genes showed common responses to temperatures in both TGMS and wild-type rice plants. The results presented here would be useful for further investigation into molecular mechanisms controlling TGMS and rice responses to temperature alteration.

Transcriptome and Gene Editing Analyses Reveal MOF1a Defect Alters the Expression of Genes Associated with Tapetum Development and Chromosome Behavior at Meiosis Stage Resulting in Low Pollen Fertility of Tetraploid Rice

Autotetraploid rice is a useful rice germplasm for polyploid rice breeding. However, low fertility limits its commercial production. A neo-tetraploid rice with high fertility was developed from the progenies of crossing between autotetraploid lines by our research group. Our previous study showed that a myeloblastosis (MYB) transcription factor, MOF1, might be associated with the pollen development in tetraploid rice. However, little information is available about its role in pollen development in tetraploid rice. Here, we identified a new haplotype of MOF1 from neo-tetraploid rice and marked it as MOF1a. Transcriptome and qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated that MOF1a highly expressed in anthers, and displayed differential expression in neo-tetraploid rice compared to tetraploid rice line with low pollen fertility. The mutant (mof1a) of MOF1a, which was generated by CRISPR/Cas9 knockout in neo-tetraploid rice, showed low pollen fertility, and also exhibited abnormal tapetum and middle layer development, and defective chromosome behaviors during meiosis. A total of 13 tapetal related genes were found to be up-regulated in meiotic anthers of MOF1a compared with wild type plants by RNA-seq analysis, including CYP703A3, PTC1, and OsABCG26, which had been demonstrated to affect tapetal development. Moreover, 335 meiosis-related genes displayed differential expression patterns at same stage, including nine important meiosis-related genes, such as metallothionein OsMT1a. These results demonstrated that MOF1a plays an important role in pollen development and provides a foundation for understanding the molecular mechanism underlying MOF1a in reproduction of tetraploid rice.

A novel CCCH-type zinc finger protein SAW1 activates OsGA20ox3 to regulate gibberellin homeostasis and anther development in rice

Male sterility is a prerequisite for hybrid seed production. The phytohormone gibberellin (GA) is involved in regulating male reproductive development, but the mechanism underlying GA homeostasis in anther development remains less understood. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of a new positive regulator of GA homeostasis, swollen anther wall 1 (SAW1), for anther development in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Rice plants carrying the recessive mutant allele saw1 produces abnormal anthers with swollen anther wall and aborted pollen. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRIPSR-associated protein 9-mediated knockout of SAW1 in rice generated similar male sterile plants. SAW1 encodes a novel nucleus-localizing CCCH-tandem zinc finger protein, and this protein could directly bind to the promoter region of the GA synthesis gene OsGA20ox3 to induce its anther-specific expression. In the saw1 anther, the significantly decreased OsGA20ox3 expression resulted in lower bioactive GA content, which in turn caused the lower expression of the GA-inducible anther-regulator gene OsGAMYB. Thus, our results disclose the mechanism of the SAW1-GA20ox3-GAMYB pathway in controlling rice anther development, and provide a new target gene for the rapid generation of male sterile lines by genome editing for hybrid breeding.

Comparative analysis of the transcriptome, methylome, and metabolome during pollen abortion of a seedless citrus mutant

Pollen abortion could be mainly attributed to abnormal meiosis in the mutant. Multiomics analysis uncovered significant epigenetic variations between the mutant and its wild type during the pollen abortion process. Male sterility caused by aborted pollen can result in seedless fruit. A seedless Ponkan mandarin mutant (bud sport) was used to compare the transcriptome, methylome, and metabolome with its progenitor to understand the mechanism of citrus pollen abortion. Cytological observations showed that the anther of the mutant could form microspore mother cells, although the microspores failed to develop fertile pollen at the anther dehiscence stage. Based on pollen phenotypic analysis, pollen abortion could be mainly attributed to abnormal meiosis in the mutant. A transcriptome analysis uncovered the molecular mechanisms underlying pollen abortion between the mutant and its wild type. A total of 5421 differentially expressed genes were identified, and some of these genes were involved in the meiosis, hormone biosynthesis and signaling, carbohydrate, and flavonoid pathways. A total of 50,845 differentially methylated regions corresponding to 15,426 differentially methylated genes in the genic region were found between the mutant and its wild type by the methylome analysis. The expression level of these genes was negatively correlated with their methylation level, especially in the promoter regions. In addition, 197 differential metabolites were identified between the mutant and its wild type based on the metabolome analysis. The transcription and metabolome analysis further indicated that the expression of genes in the flavonoid, carbohydrate, and hormone metabolic pathways was significantly modulated in the pollen of the mutant. These results indicated that demethylation may alleviate the silencing of carbohydrate genes in the mutant, resulting in excessive starch and sugar hydrolysis and thereby causing pollen abortion in the mutant.

The mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase OsALDH2b negatively regulates tapetum degeneration in rice

Timely degradation of anther tapetal cells is a prerequisite for normal pollen development in flowering plants. Although several genes involved in tapetum development have been identified, the molecular basis of tapetum degeneration regulation remains poorly understood. In this study, we identified and characterized the nucleus-encoded, conserved mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase OsALDH2b as a key regulator of tapetum degeneration in rice (Oryza sativa). OsALDH2b was highly expressed in anthers from meiosis to the early microspore stage. Mutation of OsALDH2b resulted in excess malonaldehyde accumulation and earlier programmed cell death in the tapetum, leading to premature tapetum degeneration and abnormal microspore development. These results demonstrate that OsALDH2b negatively regulates tapetal programmed cell death and is required for male reproductive development, providing insights into the regulation of tapetum development in plants.

Loss of function of Oryza sativa Argonaute 18 induces male sterility and reduction in phased small RNAs

In this manuscript, we show that Oryza sativa indica Argonaute protein AGO18 is required for male gametophyte development likely to through a small RNA-mediated mechanism. Monocots have evolved unique gene silencing pathways due to the presence of unique members of Dicer-like and Argonaute (AGO) family members. Among the monocot AGO homologs, AGO18 occupies a unique position. Previous reports have implicated this protein in viral resistance as well as in gametogenesis, likely through its competition with AGO1 clade members for micro(mi)RNAs and other small (s)RNAs. Although expression of rice AGO18 in specific stages of male gametogenesis has been documented, its major functions in plant development remain poorly understood. Here, we show that Oryza sativa indica AGO18 is involved in male gametophyte development. Knockdown (KD) of AGO18 in transgenic rice lines resulted in stunted plants that are male sterile, whereas their carpels were functional. Transcriptome analysis revealed downregulation of several pollen development-associated genes in KD lines. sRNA sequencing in vegetative and reproductive tissues of KD lines indicated reduction of miRNAs and phased secondary sRNAs implicated in male gametophyte development. Our results indicate a distinct role for rice AGO18 in male fertility.

Early cold stress responses in post-meiotic anthers from tolerant and sensitive rice cultivars

BACKGROUND

Rice grain production is susceptible to a changing environment that imposes both biotic and abiotic stress conditions. Cold episodes are becoming more frequent in the last years and directly affect rice yield in areas with a temperate climate. Rice is particularly susceptible to cold stress during the reproductive phase, especially in anthers during post-meiotic stages which, in turn, affect pollen production. However, a number of rice cultivars with a certain degree of tolerance to cold have been described, which may represent a good breeding resource for improvement of susceptible commercial varieties. Plants experiencing cold stress activate a molecular response in order to reprogram many metabolic pathways to face these hostile conditions.

RESULTS

Here we performed RNA-seq analysis using cold-stressed post-meiotic anther samples from a cold-tolerant, Erythroceros Hokkaido (ERY), and a cold-susceptible commercial cultivar Sant'Andrea (S.AND). Both cultivars displayed an early common molecular response to cold, although the changes in expression levels are much more drastic in the tolerant one. Comparing our datasets, obtained after one-night cold stress, with other similar genome-wide studies showed very few common deregulated genes, suggesting that molecular responses in cold-stressed anthers strongly depend on conditions and the duration of the cold treatments. Cold-tolerant ERY exhibits specific molecular responses related to ethylene metabolism, which appears to be activated after cold stress. On the other hand, S.AND cold-treated plants showed a general downregulation of photosystem I and II genes, supporting a role of photosynthesis and chloroplasts in cold responses in anthers, which has remained elusive.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study revealed that a number of ethylene-related transcription factors, as putative master regulators of cold responses, were upregulated in ERY providing promising candidates to confer tolerance to susceptible cultivars. Our results also suggest that the photosynthesis machinery might be a good target to improve cold tolerance in anthers. In summary, our study provides valuable candidates for further analysis and molecular breeding for cold-tolerant rice cultivars.

The Major Factors Causing the Microspore Abortion of Genic Male Sterile Mutant NWMS1 in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Male sterility is a valuable trait for genetic research and production application of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). NWMS1, a novel typical genic male sterility mutant, was obtained from Shengnong 1, mutagenized with ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS). Microstructure and ultrastructure observations of the anthers and microspores indicated that the pollen abortion of NWMS1 started at the early uninucleate microspore stage. Pollen grain collapse, plasmolysis, and absent starch grains were the three typical characteristics of the abnormal microspores. The anther transcriptomes of NWMS1 and its wild type Shengnong 1 were compared at the early anther development stage, pollen mother cell meiotic stage, and binucleate microspore stage. Several biological pathways clearly involved in abnormal anther development were identified, including protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, starch and sucrose metabolism, lipid metabolism, and plant hormone signal transduction. There were 20 key genes involved in the abnormal anther development, screened out by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), including SKP1B, BIP5, KCS11, ADH3, BGLU6, and TIFY10B. The results indicated that the defect in starch and sucrose metabolism was the most important factor causing male sterility in NWMS1. Based on the experimental data, a primary molecular regulation model of abnormal anther and pollen developments in mutant NWMS1 was established. These results laid a solid foundation for further research on the molecular mechanism of wheat male sterility.

Investigation of the genes associated with a male sterility mutant (msm) in Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris ssp. pekinensis) using RNA-Seq

In Chinese cabbage, hybrid seed production is performed using male sterility lines, an important approach to heterosis utilization. In this study, a stably inherited male sterile mutant msm was obtained from the 'FT'-doubled haploid line of Chinese cabbage using isolated microspore culture combined with ⁶⁰Co γ-ray mutagenesis. The genetic backgrounds of 'FT' and msm were highly consistent; however, compared with wild-type 'FT', msm exhibited completely degenerated stamens and no pollen phenotype. Other characters showed no significant differences. Cytological observations revealed that stamen abortion in msm begins during the tetrad period and that tapetum cells were abnormally expanded and highly vacuolated, leading to microspore abortion. Genetic analysis indicated that the msm mutant phenotype is controlled by a single recessive nuclear gene. Comparative transcriptome analysis of 'FT' and msm flower buds using RNA-Seq technology revealed 1653 differentially expressed genes, among which, a large number associated with male sterility were detected, including 64 pollen development- and pollen tube growth-related genes, 94 pollen wall development-related genes, 11 phytohormone-related genes, and 16 transcription factor-related genes. An overwhelming majority of these genes were down-regulated in msm compared with 'FT'. Furthermore, KEGG pathway analysis indicated that a variety of carbohydrate metabolic and lipid metabolic pathways were significantly enriched, which may be related to pollen abortion. The expression patterns of 24 male sterility-related genes were analyzed using qRT-PCR. In addition, 24,476 single-nucleotide polymorphisms and 413,073 insertion-deletion events were specifically detected in msm. These results will facilitate elucidation of the regulatory mechanisms underlying male sterility in Chinese cabbage.

Current understanding of male sterility systems in vegetable Brassicas and their exploitation in hybrid breeding

Overview of the current status of GMS and CMS systems available in Brassica vegetables, their molecular mechanism, wild sources of sterile cytoplasm and exploitation of male sterility in hybrid breeding. The predominantly herbaceous family Brassicaceae (crucifers or mustard family) encompasses over 3700 species, and many of them are scientifically and economically important. The genus Brassica is an economically important genus within the tribe Brassicaceae that comprises important vegetable, oilseed and fodder crops. Brassica vegetables display strong hybrid vigor, and heterosis breeding is the integral part in their improvement. Commercial production of F₁ hybrid seeds in Brassica vegetables requires an effective male sterility system. Among the available male sterility systems, cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is the most widely exploited in Brassica vegetables. This system is maternally inherited and studied intensively. A limited number of reports about the genic male sterility (GMS) are available in Brassica vegetables. The GMS system is reported to be dominant, recessive and trirecessive in nature in different species. In this review, we discuss the available male sterility systems in Brassica vegetables and their potential use in hybrid breeding. The molecular mechanism of mt-CMS and causal mitochondrial genes of CMS has been discussed in detail. Finally, the exploitation of male sterility system in heterosis breeding of Brassica vegetables, future prospects and need for further understanding of these systems are highlighted.

Re-sequencing and transcriptome analysis reveal rich DNA variations and differential expressions of fertility-related genes in neo-tetraploid rice

Autotetraploid rice is a useful germplasm for polyploid rice breeding, however, low seed setting is the major barrier in commercial utilization of autotetraploid rice. Our research group has developed neo-tetraploid rice lines, which have the characteristics of high fertility and heterosis when crossed with autotetraploid rice. In the present study, re-sequencing and RNA-seq were employed to detect global DNA variations and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) during meiosis stage in three neo-tetraploid rice lines compared to their parents, respectively. Here, a total of 4109881 SNPs and 640592 InDels were detected in neo-tetraploid lines compared to the reference genome, and 1805 specific presence/absence variations (PAVs) were detected in three lines. Approximately 12% and 0.5% of the total SNPs and InDels identified in three lines were located in genic regions, respectively. A total of 28 genes, harboring at least one of the large-effect SNP and/or InDel which affect the integrity of the encoded protein, were identified in the three lines. Together, 324 specific mutation genes, including 52 meiosis-related genes and 8 epigenetics-related genes were detected in neo-tetraploid rice compared to their parents. Of these 324 genes, five meiosis-related and three epigenetics-related genes displayed differential expressions during meiosis stage. Notably, 498 specific transcripts, 48 differentially expressed transposons and 245 differentially expressed ncRNAs were also detected in neo-tetraploid rice. Our results suggested that genomic structural reprogramming, DNA variations and differential expressions of some important meiosis and epigenetics related genes might be associated with high fertility in neo-tetraploid rice.

A quantitative proteomic analysis of the molecular mechanism underlying fertility conversion in thermo-sensitive genetic male sterility line AnnongS-1

BACKGROUND

Thermo-sensitive genetic male sterile (TGMS) lines have been widely used in two-line hybrid rice breeding. The two-line hybrids have increased rice yields substantially. However, the effect of environmental temperatures on the fertility conversion is still not fully clear. In this study, we performed a tandem mass tag (TMT)-based proteomic analysis on the anthers of the TGMS line AnnongS-1 grown under permissive (low) temperature (21 °C) and restrictive (high) temperature (> 26 °C) conditions in an attempt to explore the effect of temperature on the fertility of the male sterile line.

RESULTS

After the AnnongS-1 plants were induced under either permissive or restrictive conditions, morphological observations and I₂-KI staining confirmed that the pollen grains formed under high temperature conditions were abortive while those formed under low temperature developed normally. In comparison to the plants grown under permissive conditions, the restrictive high-temperature conditions led to the differential accumulation of 89 proteins in the anthers, of which 46 were increased in abundance and 43 were decreased in abundance. Most of the subcellular compartments of the anther cells had one or more proteins that had been differentially accumulated, with the cytoplasm and chloroplast having the greatest accumulations. More than 40% of the differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were enzymes involved in photosynthesis, energy metabolism, biosynthesis and catabolism of cellular components, metabolic regulation, defense and stress, etc. The DAPs related to protein metabolism accounted for the largest proportion (21.35%), followed by those related to defense and stress (12.36%), metabolic regulation (10.11%) and carbohydrate metabolism (8.99%), indicating that such biological processes in anther cells were more susceptible to high temperature stress.

CONCLUSIONS

The restrictive temperature induction caused fertility-sterility conversion in the TGMS line AnnongS-1 mainly by adversely affecting the metabolism of protein, carbohydrate and energy, and decreasing the abundances of important proteins closely related to defense and stress, thereby impeding the growth and development of the pollen and weakening the overall defense and ability to endure stress of AnnongS-1. These data are helpful for deepening our understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying fertility conversion in TGMS lines.

OsPKS1 is required for sexine layer formation, which shows functional conservation between rice and Arabidopsis

The sporopollenin precursors, as a general constituent of sexine, are synthesized in the tapetum and deposited on the pollen surface after transportation and processing. The polyketide synthase condenses the acyl-CoA into a hydroxyalkyl α-pyrone, which is predicted to be a component of the sporopollenin precursors. In this study, we found that the rice POLYKETIDE SYNTHASE 1 (OsPKS1) was the orthologue of Arabidopsis POLYKETIDE SYNTHASE A/LESS ADHESIVE POLLEN 6 (PKSA/LAP6) through sequence alignment. The OsPKS1 knockout mutants obtained by Crispr-Cas9-mediated editing exhibited a complete male sterile phenotype. Cytological observations revealed that abnormal bacula deposition and ubisch body structures for sexine formation led to pollen rupture in ospks1. The expression analysis showed that the OsPKS1 was highly expressed in tapetal cells and anther locules from stage 9 to stage 11 during anther development in rice. Subcellular localization demonstrated that the OsPKS1 protein was preferentially localized to the ER. The genomic sequence of OsPKS1 driven by the PKSA/LAP6 promoter restored the sexine pattern of Arabidopsis pksa/lap6. These results indicated that OsPKS1 is required for sexine layer formation in rice and functionally conserved in the sporopollenin synthesis pathway.

Transcriptome analysis reveals new microRNAs-mediated pathway involved in anther development in male sterile wheat

Background

337S is a novel bi-pole-photo-thermo-sensitive genic male sterile line in wheat, and sensitive to both long day length/high temperature and short day length/low temperature condition. Although the regulatory function of MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in reproductive development has been increasingly studied, their roles in pre-meiotic and meiotic cells formation of plants have not been clearly explored. Here, we explored the roles of miRNAs in regulating male sterility of 337S at short day length/low temperature condition.

Results

Small RNA sequencing and degradome analyses were employed to identify miRNAs and their targets in the 337S whose meiotic cells collapsed rapidly during male meiotic prophase, resulting in failure of meiosis at SL condition. A total of 102 unique miRNAs were detected. Noticeably, the largest miRNA family was MiR1122. The target CCR4-associated factor 1 (CAF1) of miR2275, a subunit of the Carbon Catabolite Repressed 4-Negative on TATA-less (CCR4-NOT) complex, contributes to the process of early meiosis, and was first identified here. Further studies showed that the expression of several pivotal anther-related miRNAs was altered in 337S at SL condition, especially tae-miR1127a, which may be related to male sterility of 337S. Here, we also identified a new member of SWI/SNF factors SWI/SNF-related matrix-associated actin-dependent regulator of chromatin subfamily A, member 3-like 3 (SMARCA3L3) targeted by tae-miR1127a, whose function might be involved in faithful progression of meiosis in male reproductive cells.

Conclusion

The miRNA-target interactions of tae-miR2275-CAF1 and tae-miR1127a-SMARCA3L3 might be involved in regulating male fertility in 337S. Our results also implied that multiple roles for SMARCA3L3 and CAF1 in DNA repair and transcriptional regulation jointly orchestrated a tight and orderly system for maintaining chromatin and genome integrity during meiosis.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-018-4727-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The role of receptor-like kinases in regulating plant male reproduction

RLKs in anther development. The cell-to-cell communication is essential for specifying different cell types during plant growth, development and adaption to the ever-changing environment. Plant male reproduction, in particular, requires the exquisitely synchronized development of different cell layers within the male tissue, the anther. Receptor-like kinases (RLKs) belong to a large group of kinases localized on the cell surfaces, perceiving extracellular signals and thereafter regulating intracellular processes. Here we update the role of RLKs in early anther development by defining the cell fate and anther patterning, responding to the changing environment and controlling anther carbohydrate metabolism. We provide speculation of the poorly characterized ligands and substrates of these RLKs. The conserved and diversified aspects underlying the function of RLKs in anther development are discussed.

Genomic structural variation-mediated allelic suppression causes hybrid male sterility in rice

Hybrids between divergent populations commonly show hybrid sterility; this reproductive barrier hinders hybrid breeding of the japonica and indica rice (Oryza sativa L.) subspecies. Here we show that structural changes and copy number variation at the Sc locus confer japonica–indica hybrid male sterility. The japonica allele, Sc-j, contains a pollen-essential gene encoding a DUF1618-domain protein; the indica allele, Sc-i, contains two or three tandem-duplicated ~ 28-kb segments, each carrying an Sc-j-homolog with a distinct promoter. In Sc-j/Sc-i hybrids, the high-expression of Sc-i in sporophytic cells causes suppression of Sc-j expression in pollen and selective abortion of Sc-j-pollen, leading to transmission ratio distortion. Knocking out one or two of the three Sc-i copies by CRISPR/Cas9 rescues Sc-j expression and male fertility. Our results reveal the gene dosage-dependent allelic suppression as a mechanism of hybrid incompatibility, and provide an effective approach to overcome the reproductive barrier for hybrid breeding.

A reproductive barrier between japonica and indica rice subspecies hinders hybrid breeding. Here, the authors reveal that structural and copy number variations of a pollen-essential gene, which encodes a DUF1618-domain protein, result in allelic suppression and subsequently cause hybrid male sterility.

Anther-preferential expressing gene PMR is essential for the mitosis of pollen development in rice

Phenotype identification, expression examination, and function prediction declared that the anther-preferential expressing gene PMR may participate in regulation of male gametophyte development in rice. Male germline development in flowering plants produces the pair of sperm cells for double fertilization and the pollen mitosis is a key process of it. Although the structural features of male gametophyte have been defined, the molecular mechanisms regulating the mitotic cell cycle are not well elucidated in rice. Here, we reported an anther-preferential expressing gene in rice, PMR (Pollen Mitosis Relative), playing an essential role in male gametogenesis. When PMR gene was suppressed via RNAi, the mitosis of microspore was severely damaged, and the plants formed unmatured pollens containing only one or two nucleuses at the anthesis, ultimately leading to serious reduction of pollen fertility and seed-setting. The CRISPR mutants, pmr-1 and pmr-2, both showed the similar defects as the PMR-RNAi lines. Further analysis revealed that PMR together with its co-expressing genes were liable to participate in the regulation of DNA metabolism in the nucleus, and affected the activities of some enzymes related to the cell cycle. We finally discussed that unknown protein PMR contained the PHD, SWIB and Plus-3 domains and they might have coordinating functions in regulation pathway of the pollen mitosis in rice.

Targeted mutagenesis of a conserved anther-expressed P450 gene confers male sterility in monocots

Targeted mutagenesis using programmable DNA endonucleases has broad applications for studying gene function in planta and developing approaches to improve crop yields. Recently, a genetic method that eliminates the need to emasculate the female inbred during hybrid seed production, referred to as Seed Production Technology, has been described. The foundation of this genetic system relied on classical methods to identify genes critical to anther and pollen development. One of these genes is a P450 gene which is expressed in the tapetum of anthers. Homozygous recessive mutants in this gene render maize and rice plants male sterile. While this P450 in maize corresponds to the male fertility gene Ms26, male fertility mutants have not been isolated in other monocots such as sorghum and wheat. In this report, a custom designed homing endonuclease, Ems26+, was used to generate in planta mutations in the rice, sorghum and wheat orthologs of maize Ms26. Similar to maize, homozygous mutations in this P450 gene in rice and sorghum prevent pollen formation resulting in male sterile plants and fertility was restored in sorghum using a transformed copy of maize Ms26. In contrast, allohexaploid wheat plants that carry similar homozygous nuclear mutations in only one, but not all three, of their single genomes were male fertile. Targeted mutagenesis and subsequent characterization of male fertility genes in sorghum and wheat is an important step for capturing heterosis and improving crop yields through hybrid seed.

Engineered Dwarf Male-Sterile Rice: A Promising Genetic Tool for Facilitating Recurrent Selection in Rice

Rice is a crop feeding half of the world's population. With the continuous raise of yield potential via genetic improvement, rice breeding has entered an era where multiple genes conferring complex traits must be efficiently manipulated to increase rice yield further. Recurrent selection is a sound strategy for manipulating multiple genes and it has been successfully performed in allogamous crops. However, the difficulties in emasculation and hand pollination had obstructed efficient use of recurrent selection in autogamous rice. Here, we report development of the dwarf male-sterile rice that can facilitate recurrent selection in rice breeding. We adopted RNAi technology to synergistically regulate rice plant height and male fertility to create the dwarf male-sterile rice. The RNAi construct pTCK-EGGE, targeting the OsGA20ox2 and OsEAT1 genes, was constructed and used to transform rice via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The transgenic T0 plants showing largely reduced plant height and complete male-sterile phenotypes were designated as the dwarf male-sterile plants. Progenies of the dwarf male-sterile plants were obtained by pollinating them with pollens from the wild-type. In the T1 and T2 populations, half of the plants were still dwarf male-sterile; the other half displayed normal plant height and male fertility which were designated as tall and male-fertile plants. The tall and male-fertile plants are transgene-free and can be self-pollinated to generate new varieties. Since emasculation and hand pollination for dwarf male-sterile rice plants is no longer needed, the dwarf male-sterile rice can be used to perform recurrent selection in rice. A dwarf male-sterile rice-based recurrent selection model has been proposed.

Doubled Haploid 'CUDH2107' as a Reference for Bulb Onion (Allium cepa L.) Research: Development of a Transcriptome Catalogue and Identification of Transcripts Associated with Male Fertility

Researchers working on model plants have derived great benefit from developing genomic and genetic resources using ‘reference’ genotypes. Onion has a large and highly heterozygous genome making the sharing of germplasm and analysis of sequencing data complicated. To simplify the discovery and analysis of genes underlying important onion traits, we are promoting the use of the homozygous double haploid line ‘CUDH2107’ by the onion research community. In the present investigation, we performed transcriptome sequencing on vegetative and reproductive tissues of CUDH2107 to develop a multi-organ reference transcriptome catalogue. A total of 396 million 100 base pair paired reads was assembled using the Trinity pipeline, resulting in 271,665 transcript contigs. This dataset was analysed for gene ontology and transcripts were classified on the basis of putative biological processes, molecular function and cellular localization. Significant differences were observed in transcript expression profiles between different tissues. To demonstrate the utility of our CUDH2107 transcriptome catalogue for understanding the genetic and molecular basis of various traits, we identified orthologues of rice genes involved in male fertility and flower development. These genes provide an excellent starting point for studying the molecular regulation, and the engineering of reproductive traits.

Construction of a male sterility system for hybrid rice breeding and seed production using a nuclear male sterility gene

The breeding and large-scale adoption of hybrid seeds is an important achievement in agriculture. Rice hybrid seed production uses cytoplasmic male sterile lines or photoperiod/thermo-sensitive genic male sterile lines (PTGMS) as female parent. Cytoplasmic male sterile lines are propagated via cross-pollination by corresponding maintainer lines, whereas PTGMS lines are propagated via self-pollination under environmental conditions restoring male fertility. Despite huge successes, both systems have their intrinsic drawbacks. Here, we constructed a rice male sterility system using a nuclear gene named Oryza sativa No Pollen 1 (OsNP1). OsNP1 encodes a putative glucose-methanol-choline oxidoreductase regulating tapetum degeneration and pollen exine formation; it is specifically expressed in the tapetum and miscrospores. The osnp1 mutant plant displays normal vegetative growth but complete male sterility insensitive to environmental conditions. OsNP1 was coupled with an α-amylase gene to devitalize transgenic pollen and the red fluorescence protein (DsRed) gene to mark transgenic seed and transformed into the osnp1 mutant. Self-pollination of the transgenic plant carrying a single hemizygous transgene produced nontransgenic male sterile and transgenic fertile seeds in 1:1 ratio that can be sorted out based on the red fluorescence coded by DsRed Cross-pollination of the fertile transgenic plants to the nontransgenic male sterile plants propagated the male sterile seeds of high purity. The male sterile line was crossed with ∼1,200 individual rice germplasms available. Approximately 85% of the F1s outperformed their parents in per plant yield, and 10% out-yielded the best local cultivars, indicating that the technology is promising in hybrid rice breeding and production.

A novel application of periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining and fluorescence imaging for analysing tapetum and microspore development

The precisely timed process of tapetum development and its degradation involving programmed cell death is an important molecular event during anther development. Through its degeneration, the tapetum not only provides nutritive substances to the developing microspores but also contributes to the pollen wall by way of sporopollenin, which is a complex mixture of biopolymers, containing long-chain fatty acids, phenylpropanoids, phenolics and traces of carotenoids. A number of dyes and staining methods have been used to visualize tapetal structure and its components by using light microscopy techniques, but none of these methods could differentially stain and thus distinguish tapetal cells from other cell types of anther wall. While analysing progression of tapetum development in different cell types in rice anthers, we discovered a unique property of periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) stain, which upon interaction with some specific component(s) in tapetal cells and developing microspores emits fluorescence at ~620 nm. In rice anthers, the PAS-associated fluorescence could be observed initially in tapetum and developing microspores, and subsequent to degeneration of tapetum, the fluorescence was found to emanate mainly from the pollen wall. We also show that PAS-dependent fluorescence in tapetal cells is distinct from the autofluorescence resulting from pollen wall components and is also not caused by interaction of PAS with pollen starch. Henceforth, this novel fluorescence property of PAS stain could prove to be a new tool in the toolkit of developmental biologists to analyse different aspects of tapetum development and its degeneration with little more ease and specificity.

Gibberellic Acid: A Key Phytohormone for Spikelet Fertility in Rice Grain Production

The phytohormone gibberellic acid (GA) has essential signaling functions in multiple processes during plant development. In the "Green Revolution", breeders developed high-yield rice cultivars that exhibited both semi-dwarfism and altered GA responses, thus improving grain production. Most studies of GA have concentrated on germination and cell elongation, but GA also has a pivotal role in floral organ development, particularly in stamen/anther formation. In rice, GA signaling plays an important role in spikelet fertility; however, the molecular genetic and biochemical mechanisms of GA in male fertility remain largely unknown. Here, we review recent progress in understanding the network of GA signaling and its connection with spikelet fertility, which is tightly associated with grain productivity in cereal crops.

Comparative Small RNA Analysis of Pollen Development in Autotetraploid and Diploid Rice

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play key roles in plant reproduction. However, knowledge on microRNAome analysis in autotetraploid rice is rather limited. Here, high-throughput sequencing technology was employed to analyze miRNAomes during pollen development in diploid and polyploid rice. A total of 172 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEM) were detected in autotetraploid rice compared to its diploid counterpart, and 57 miRNAs were specifically expressed in autotetraploid rice. Of the 172 DEM, 115 and 61 miRNAs exhibited up- and down-regulation, respectively. Gene Ontology analysis on the targets of up-regulated DEM showed that they were enriched in transport and membrane in pre-meiotic interphase, reproduction in meiosis, and nucleotide binding in single microspore stage. osa-miR5788 and osa-miR1432-5p_R+1 were up-regulated in meiosis and their targets revealed interaction with the meiosis-related genes, suggesting that they may involve in the genes regulation associated with the chromosome behavior. Abundant 24 nt siRNAs associated with transposable elements were found in autotetraploid rice during pollen development; however, they significantly declined in diploid rice, suggesting that 24 nt siRNAs may play a role in pollen development. These findings provide a foundation for understanding the effect of polyploidy on small RNA expression patterns during pollen development that cause pollen sterility in autotetraploid rice.

The Rice Floral Repressor Early flowering1 Affects Spikelet Fertility By Modulating Gibberellin Signaling

BACKGROUND

Gibberellic acid (GA; or gibberellin) affects the development of floral organs, especially anthers and pollen, and perturbation of development of male floral organs can cause sterility. Many studies of GA signaling have concentrated on anther development, but the effect of GA on grain production remains to be examined.

RESULTS

Using a cross of 'Milyang23 (M23)', which has a functional allele of Early flowering1 (EL1), and 'H143', which has a nonfunctional el1 allele, we generated heterogeneous inbred family-near isogenic lines (HNILs) that are homozygous for EL1 [HNIL(M23)] or el1 [HNIL(H143)]. Here, we found that HNIL(H143) exhibited anther deformities and low pollen viability. The expression of GAMYB, a major activator of GA signaling, and its downstream genes CYP703A3 and KAR, mainly involved in pollen formation, increased abnormally during spikelet development; this activation of GA signaling may cause the sterility. To confirm the negative effect of the el1 mutation on spikelet fertility, we examined a line carrying a T-DNA insertion el1 mutant [hereafter ZH11(el1)] and its parental cultivar 'Zhonghua11 (ZH11)'. ZH11(el1) showed nearly identical defects in anther development and pollen viability as HNIL(H143), leading to decreased seed setting rate. However, the elite japonica cultivar Koshihikari, which has a nonfunctional el1 allele for early flowering in long days, produces fertile spikelets and normal grain yields, like other elite japonica cultivars. This indicates that as-yet-unknown regulator(s) that can overcome the male sterile phenotype of the el1 mutation must have been introduced into Koshihikari.

CONCLUSIONS

The el1 mutation contributes to early flowering in japonica rice under long days but fails to limit GA signaling, thus negatively affecting spikelet fertility, which results in a loss of grain yield. Thus, EL1 is essential for photoperiod sensitivity in flowering as well as spikelet fertility in grain production.

iTRAQ-facilitated proteomic profiling of anthers from a photosensitive male sterile mutant and wild-type cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Male sterility is a common phenomenon in flowering plants, and it has been successfully developed in several crops by taking advantage of heterosis. Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is an important economic crop, used mainly for the production of textile fiber. Using a space mutation breeding technique, a novel photosensitive genetic male sterile mutant CCRI9106 was isolated from the wild-type upland cotton cultivar CCRI040029. To use CCRI9106 in cotton hybrid breeding, it is of great importance to study the molecular mechanisms of its male sterility. Here, histological and iTRAQ-facilitated proteomic analyses of anthers were performed to explore male sterility mechanisms of the mutant. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy of the anthers showed that the development of pollen wall in CCRI9106 was severely defective with a lack of exine formation. At the protein level, 6121 high-confidence proteins were identified and 325 of them showed differential expression patterns between mutant and wild-type anthers. The proteins up- or down-regulated in MT anthers were mainly involved in exine formation, protein degradation, calcium ion binding,etc. These findings provide valuable information on the proteins involved in anther and pollen development, and contribute to elucidate the mechanism of male sterility in upland cotton.

Addition of rye chromosome 4R to wheat increases anther length and pollen grain number

The research identified rye chromosome 4R arms associated with good pollinator traits, and demonstrated possible use of rye genetic resources to develop elite pollinators for hybrid wheat breeding. Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) is a predominantly self-pollinating plant which has relatively small-sized anthers and produces a low number of pollen grains. These features limit the suitability of most wheat lines as pollinators for hybrid seed production. One strategy for improving the pollination ability of wheat is to introgress cross-pollination traits from related species. One such species is rye (Secale cereale L.), which has suitable traits such as high anther extrusion, long anthers containing large amounts of pollen and long pollen viability. Therefore, introducing these traits into wheat is of great interest in hybrid wheat breeding. Here, we investigated wheat-rye chromosome addition lines for the effects of rye chromosomes on anther and pollen development in wheat. Using a single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping array, we detected 984 polymorphic markers that showed expected syntenic relationships between wheat and rye. Our results revealed that the addition of rye chromosomes 1R or 2R reduced pollen fertility, while addition of rye chromosome 4R increased anther size by 16% and pollen grain number by 33%. The effect on anther length was associated with increases in both cell size and the number of endothecium cells and was attributed to the long arm of chromosome 4R. In contrast, the effect on pollen grain number was attributed to the short arm of chromosome 4R. These results indicate that rye chromosome 4R contains at least two genetic factors associated with increased anther size and pollen grain number that can favourably affect pollination traits in wheat.

Workable male sterility systems for hybrid rice: Genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology, and utilization

The exploitation of male sterility systems has enabled the commercialization of heterosis in rice, with greatly increased yield and total production of this major staple food crop. Hybrid rice, which was adopted in the 1970s, now covers nearly 13.6 million hectares each year in China alone. Various types of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) and environment-conditioned genic male sterility (EGMS) systems have been applied in hybrid rice production. In this paper, recent advances in genetics, biochemistry, and molecular biology are reviewed with an emphasis on major male sterility systems in rice: five CMS systems, i.e., BT-, HL-, WA-, LD- and CW- CMS, and two EGMS systems, i.e., photoperiod- and temperature-sensitive genic male sterility (P/TGMS). The interaction of chimeric mitochondrial genes with nuclear genes causes CMS, which may be restored by restorer of fertility (Rf) genes. The PGMS, on the other hand, is conditioned by a non-coding RNA gene. A survey of the various CMS and EGMS lines used in hybrid rice production over the past three decades shows that the two-line system utilizing EGMS lines is playing a steadily larger role and TGMS lines predominate the current two-line system for hybrid rice production. The findings and experience gained during development and application of, and research on male sterility in rice not only advanced our understanding but also shed light on applications to other crops.

Defining reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR analysis of anther development in rice

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is one of the most accurate and widely used methods for gene expression analysis. However, the choice of reference genes for normalization is critical for accurate quantification of gene expression. As development of genomics, mining large-scale datasets such as microarray and RNA-sequencing data becomes a new approach for exploitation of new reference genes. In this study, we analyzed an RNA-sequencing dataset of rice anther and 167 microarray datasets involving different tissues and developing stages of rice anthers and pollens. We selected 12 candidate genes and other 5 reference genes, including ACT1, eEF-1α, GAPDH, Exp2, and CCDC72 used in previous studies, and evaluated their expression in eight tissues and different developmental stages of anthers in rice variety 9311 and Yuetai. UPF3, eIF4A-3, GAPDH, and PPP6 were identified as the most suitable reference genes for qPCR analysis of anther development in rice. The new candidate reference genes showed more stable expression than the traditionally used reference genes. These results provide a set of reliable reference genes for studies in rice anther developmental process.