Overexpression of a flower-specific aerolysin-like protein from the dioecious plant Rumex acetosa alters flower development and induces male sterility in transgenic tobacco

0473616 - BFÚ 2018 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Manzano, S. - Megias, Z. - Martinez, C. - Garcia, A. - Aguado, E. - Chileh, T. - Lopez-Alonso, D. - Garcia-Maroto, F. - Kejnovský, Eduard - Široký, Jiří - Kubát, Zdeněk - Králová, Tereza - Vyskot, Boris - Jamilena, M.
Overexpression of a flower-specific aerolysin-like protein from the dioecious plant Rumex acetosa alters flower development and induces male sterility in transgenic tobacco.
Plant Journal. Roč. 89, č. 1 (2017), s. 58-72. ISSN 0960-7412. E-ISSN 1365-313X
Institutional support: RVO:68081707
Keywords : sex determination * Rumex acetosa * aerolysin-like protein
OECD category: Plant sciences, botany
Impact factor: 5.775, year: 2017

Sex determination in Rumex acetosa, a dioecious plant with a complex XY1Y2 sex chromosome system (females are XX and males are XY1Y2), is not controlled by an active Y chromosome but depends on the ratio between the number of X chromosomes and autosomes. To gain insight into the molecular mechanisms of sex determination, we generated a subtracted cDNA library enriched in genes specifically or predominantly expressed in female floral buds in early stages of development, when sex determination mechanisms come into play. In the present paper, we report the molecular and functional characterization of FEM32, a gene encoding a protein that shares a common architecture with proteins in different plants, animals, bacteria and fungi of the aerolysin superfamily, many of these function as b pore-forming toxins. The expression analysis, assessed by northern blot, RT-PCR and in situ hybridization, demonstrates that this gene is specifically expressed in flowers in both early and late stages of development, although its transcripts accumulate much more in female flowers than in male flowers. The ectopic expression of FEM32 under both the constitutive promoter 35S and the flower-specific promoter AP3 in transgenic tobacco showed no obvious alteration in vegetative development but was able to alter floral organ growth and pollen fertility. The 35S::FEM32 and AP3::FEM32 transgenic lines showed a reduction in stamen development and pollen viability, as well as a diminution in fruit set, fruit development and seed production. Compared with other floral organs, pistil development was, however, enhanced in plants overexpressing FEM32.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0270753