No primexine and plasma membrane undulation is essential for primexine deposition and plasma membrane undulation during microsporogenesis in Arabidopsis

Plant Physiol. 2012 Jan;158(1):264-72. doi: 10.1104/pp.111.184853. Epub 2011 Nov 18.

Abstract

Primexine deposition and plasma membrane undulation are the initial steps of pollen wall formation. However, little is known about the genes involved in this important biological process. Here, we report a novel gene, NO PRIMEXINE AND PLASMA MEMBRANE UNDULATION (NPU), which functions in the early stage of pollen wall development in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Loss of NPU function causes male sterility due to a defect in callose synthesis and sporopollenin deposition, resulting in disrupted pollen in npu mutants. Transmission electronic microscopy observation demonstrated that primexine deposition and plasma membrane undulation are completely absent in the npu mutants. NPU encodes a membrane protein with two transmembrane domains and one intracellular domain. In situ hybridization analysis revealed that NPU is strongly expressed in microspores and the tapetum during the tetrad stage. All these results together indicate that NPU plays a vital role in primexine deposition and plasma membrane undulation during early pollen wall development.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / physiology*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism*
  • Biopolymers
  • Carotenoids
  • Cell Membrane / genetics
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism*
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Gametogenesis, Plant / genetics*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Glucans / biosynthesis
  • Meiosis
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mutation
  • Plant Infertility / genetics
  • Pollen / genetics
  • Pollen / growth & development
  • Pollen / metabolism
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Biopolymers
  • Glucans
  • Membrane Proteins
  • NPU protein, Arabidopsis
  • sporopollenin
  • Carotenoids
  • callose