Fertilization Mechanisms in Flowering Plants

Dresselhaus, Thomas; Sprunck, Stefanie; Wessel, Gary M.

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2015.12.032

Cited by 252 publications

(185 citation statements)

References 146 publications

(183 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

183

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The corresponding proteins play key roles in female gamete cell identity, as well as pollen tube guidance and burst in maize (reviewed in Dresselhaus et al, 2011Dresselhaus et al, , 2016. However, due to their polymorphic nature, no unambiguous homologs of the individual members were identified in the databases from Ensembl Compara or the Rice Genome Annotation Project.…”

Section: Comparison Of Transcriptomic Data From Maize and Rice Gametesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Zygotic Genome Activation Occurs Shortly after Fertilization in Maize

et al. 2017

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The formation of a zygote via the fusion of an egg and sperm cell and its subsequent asymmetric division herald the start of the plant's life cycle. Zygotic genome activation (ZGA) is thought to occur gradually, with the initial steps of zygote and embryo development being primarily maternally controlled, and subsequent steps being governed by the zygotic genome. Here, using maize (Zea mays) as a model plant system, we determined the timing of zygote development and generated RNA-seq transcriptome profiles of gametes, zygotes, and apical and basal daughter cells. ZGA occurs shortly after fertilization and involves ;10% of the genome being activated in a highly dynamic pattern. In particular, genes encoding transcriptional regulators of various families are activated shortly after fertilization. Further analyses suggested that chromatin assembly is strongly modified after fertilization, that the egg cell is primed to activate the translational machinery, and that hormones likely play a minor role in the initial steps of early embryo development in maize. Our findings provide important insights into gamete and zygote activity in plants, and our RNA-seq transcriptome profiles represent a comprehensive, unique RNA-seq data set that can be used by the research community.

show abstract

Section: Comparison Of Transcriptomic Data From Maize and Rice Gametesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Zygotic Genome Activation Occurs Shortly after Fertilization in Maize

et al. 2017

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For fertilization to occur, a pollen tube targets and penetrates the female gametophyte located inside an ovule in response to attractants secreted by the synergid cells that are located at the entrance of the female gametophyte (Dresselhaus and Franklin-Tong 2013;Higashiyama and Takeuchi 2015;Cheung and Wu, 2016). Under normal conditions, a pollen tube interacts with the pollen tube-female gametophyte in a process referred to as pollen tube reception (see Dresselhaus et al, 2016 for the latest definition of this process), during which the approaching pollen tube penetrates one of the two synergids and ruptures immediately, releasing two sperm cells for a double fertilization process that produces the zygote and endosperm of a future seed. Late-arriving pollen tubes will not approach an already fertilized ovule but continue to grow and target not yet penetrated ones, thus averting polyspermy and maximizing seed yields.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

FERONIA and Her Pals: Functions and Mechanisms

2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

FERONIA and 16 closely related proteins form a distinct clade within the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) superfamily of receptor-like kinases (RLKs), transmembrane proteins with an extracellular domain for signal perception and a cytoplasmic domain that phosphorylates target molecules and induces cellular responses to incoming signals. Several members of this family, such as THESEUS1 and ANXUR1,2, are known to play distinct roles in growth and reproduction; FERONIA is unique in being critically involved in both plant growth and reproduction. The FERONIA family of proteins from Arabidopsis is distinguished from other RLKs by having extracellular protein motifs that share homology with malectin, an animal protein with the capacity to bind dimeric and oligomeric Glc. The possibility that these malectin-like motifs might interact with carbohydrates has generated widespread speculations that these receptor kinases could act as cell-wall sensors, communicating perturbations at the frontline of cell-cell and plantenvironment interaction to the cytoplasm to induce responses. Here, we discuss emerging understanding of the functional roles and signaling mechanisms of FERONIA and its related proteins. We also highlight pressing questions, as well as the functional potential of the broader malectin-like domain-containing RLK family that exists across the plant kingdom. We believe FERONIA and her pals provide a rich ground for research with many emerging opportunities for uncovering novel insights into how plants strive for growth and survival.FERONIA/SIRÈNE was first identified genetically more than ten years ago as a key regulator of female fertility in Arabidopsis (Rotman et al., 2003;Huck et al., 2003). It was later determined to be a receptor kinase (Escobar-Restrepo et al., 2007) and one of 17 closely related receptor-like kinases (RLKs) in Arabidopsis ( FERONIA controls growth and female fertility, mediates hormone-and pathogen-induced responses, and is required for a normal cell wall.FERONIA is a receptor for RALF1, a peptide regulatory factor, which affects phosphorylation of FERONIA and the key cell growth regulator H 1 -ATPase.FERONIA-related THESEUS1 suppresses growth in cellulosedeficient mutants, suggesting a role as surveyor of wall conditions.FERONIA homologs ANXUR1 and ANXUR2 ensure pollen tube integrity and male fertility.FERONIA, ANXUR1, and ANXUR2 signaling collectively involves a GPI-AP, a MLO protein, the RHO GTPase switch, NADPH oxidases, and a receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase; ROS and Ca 21 are key elements in their functions.

show abstract

“…Proper pollen germination and tube growth are a prerequisite of double fertilization and seed formation in flowering plants (Lu et al, 2011;Dresselhaus and Franklin-Tong, 2013;Duan et al, 2014;Dresselhaus et al, 2016). To further test whether pollen coat defects would lead to reduced pollen germination and tube growth, we perform the in vitro and in vivo pollen germination assay.…”

Section: Mon1 Mutation Results In Defective Pollen Germination and Tumentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In plants, tapetal PCD is a prerequisite for normal pollen development and successful reproduction (Xie et al, 2014;Zhang et al, 2014;Dresselhaus et al, 2016). Through tapetal PCD process, tapetum provides its cellular contents, including lipids and proteins, for pollen coat formation .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

MONENSIN SENSITIVITY1 (MON1)/CALCIUM CAFFEINE ZINC SENSITIVITY1 (CCZ1)-Mediated Rab7 Activation Regulates Tapetal Programmed Cell Death and Pollen Development

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Programmed cell death (PCD)-triggered degradation of plant tapetum is essential for microspore development and pollen coat formation; however, little is known about the cellular mechanism regulating tapetal PCD. Here, we demonstrate that Rab7-mediated vacuolar transport of tapetum degradation-related cysteine proteases is crucial for tapetal PCD and pollen development in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), with the following evidence: (1) The monensin sensitivity1 (mon1) mutants, which are defective in Rab7 activation, showed impaired male fertility due to a combined defect in both tapetum and male gametophyte development. (2) In anthers, MON1 showed preferential high level expression in tapetal cell layers and pollen. (3) The mon1 mutants exhibited delayed tapetum degeneration and tapetal PCD, resulting in abnormal pollen coat formation and decreased male fertility. (4) MON1/CALCIUM CAFFEINE ZINC SENSITIVITY1 (CCZ1)-mediated Rab7 activation was indispensable for vacuolar trafficking of tapetum degradation-related cysteine proteases, supporting that PCD-triggered tapetum degeneration requires Rab7-mediated vacuolar trafficking of these cysteine proteases. (5) MON1 mutations also resulted in defective pollen germination and tube growth. Taken together, tapetal PCD and pollen development require successful MON1/CCZ1-mediated vacuolar transport in Arabidopsis.

show abstract

Fertilization Mechanisms in Flowering Plants

Cited by 252 publications

References 146 publications

Zygotic Genome Activation Occurs Shortly after Fertilization in Maize

Zygotic Genome Activation Occurs Shortly after Fertilization in Maize

FERONIA and Her Pals: Functions and Mechanisms

MONENSIN SENSITIVITY1 (MON1)/CALCIUM CAFFEINE ZINC SENSITIVITY1 (CCZ1)-Mediated Rab7 Activation Regulates Tapetal Programmed Cell Death and Pollen Development

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About