iTRAQ‐Based Proteomics Reveals that the Tomato ms10³⁵ Gene Causes Male Sterility through Compromising Fat Acid Metabolism

Abstract

So far, over 50 spontaneous male sterile mutants of tomato have been described and most of them are categorized as genetic male sterility. To date, the mechanism of tomato genetic male sterility remained unclear. In this study, differential proteomic analysis is performed between genetic male sterile line (2-517), which carries the male sterility (ms10 35 ) gene, and its wildtype (VF-11) using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification-based strategy. A total of 8272 proteins are quantified in the 2-517 and VF-11 lines at the floral bud and florescence stages. These proteins are involved in different cellular and metabolic processes, which express obvious functional tendencies toward the hydroxylation of the -carbon in fatty acids, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, the glycolytic, and pentose phosphate pathways. Based on the results, a protein network explaining the mechanisms of tomato genetic male sterility is proposed, finding the compromising fat acid metabolism may cause the male sterility. These results are confirmed by parallel reaction monitoring, quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and physiological assays. Taken together, these results provide new insights into the metabolic pathway of anther abortion induced by ms10 35 and offer useful clues to identify the crucial proteins involved in genetic male sterility in tomato.

Genic male and female sterility in vegetable crops

“…Meanwhile, the fluorescence marker gene (mCherry, GFP) and the visualized marker gene (Ruby) could also be adopted as a proxy for isolation of transgene or transgene-free vegetable crops on a large scale, which will greatly save time and workload [ 131 ]. Notably, TKC (Transgene Killer CRISPR system) technology could achieve self-elimination of the CRISPR construct and produce all-transgene-free progenies [ 132 , 133 ]. In addition, iTRAQ (isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification)-based proteomics was applied in the exploration of the protein regulation network of the male-sterile mutant ms10(35) , and fatty acid metabolism was speculated to be the cause of male sterility [ 134 ].…”

Proteomics of Reproductive Development, Fruit Ripening, and Stress Responses in Tomato

“…119 Proteins in some sterile male lines of tomato demonstrated the roles involving the hydroxylation of 5-carbon of fatty acids with C16 and C18, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, the glycolytic pathway, the pentose phosphate pathway, and the oxidation stress response, which were presumed to be responsible for pollen abortion. 71…”

“…SlMPK20 regulates a cascade of genes that control sugar and auxin metabolism and has been speculated to crosstalk with other transcription factors such as SlMYB32 to regulate pollen formation . Proteins in some sterile male lines of tomato demonstrated the roles involving the hydroxylation of 5-carbon of fatty acids with C16 and C18, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, the glycolytic pathway, the pentose phosphate pathway, and the oxidation stress response, which were presumed to be responsible for pollen abortion …”