PJB-2017-602
The zinc-finger transcription factor BcMF20 and its orthologs in Cruciferae are required for pollen development
Ying-Yan Han
Abstract
Brassica campestris Male Fertility 20 (BcMF20) is a typical zinc-finger transcription factor that was previously isolated from flower bud of Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis). Expression pattern analysis indicated that BcMF20 was specifically and strongly expressed in tapetum and pollen, beginning at the uninucleate stage, and was maintained through the mature pollen stage. Isolation and multiple alignments of the orthologs of BcMF20 in Cruciferae indicated that BcMF20 was highly conserved, which revealed the conservation in biological function and the importance of this zinc finger transcription factor in plant development. Antisense RNA technology was used to study the function of this gene in Arabidopsis thaliana. Compared with control, transgenic plants exhibited fewer pollen grains and could not form turgid pods. The transgenic mature pollen grains had low germination rates of 13% and 15% in the T1 and T2 generations, respectively. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed that transgenic pollen grains exhibited several deformities, such as a hollow inside and pollen wall collapse. Furthermore, close scrutiny revealed that the orderly development of the pollen wall was significantly disrupted in transgenic plants. The vacuolate tapetum was also found in these transgenic plants. The similarity in the structure, expression patterns and phenotypes resulting from the lack of respective expression suggest that TAZ1 and BcMF20 possibly function in a similar manner in tapetum development. Furthermore, BcMF20 and its orthologs may act downstream of MS188, i.e., at MS1, and play a role in a genetic pathway that involves DYT1, TDF1, AMS, MS188 and MS1 in the tapetum.
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