Cell type-specific loss of atp6 RNA editing in cytoplasmic male sterile Sorghum bicolor

RNA editing and cytoplasmic male sterility are two important phenomena in higher plant mitochondria. To determine whether correlations might exist between the two, RNA editing in different tissues of Sorghum bicolor was compared employing reverse transcription–PCR and subsequent sequence analysis. In etiolated shoots, RNA editing of transcripts of plant mitochondrial atp6, atp9, nad3, nad4, and rps12 genes was identical among fertile or cytoplasmic male sterile plants. We then established a protocol for mitochondrial RNA isolation from plant anthers and pollen to include in these studies. Whereas RNA editing of atp9, nad3, nad4, and rps12 transcripts in anthers was similar to etiolated shoots, mitochondrial atp6 RNA editing was strongly reduced in anthers of the A3Tx398 male sterile line of S. bicolor. atp6 transcripts of wheat and selected plastid transcripts in S. bicolor showed normal RNA editing, indicating that loss of atp6 RNA editing is specific for cytoplasmic male sterility S. bicolor mitochondria. Restoration of fertility in F1 and F2 lines correlated with an increase in RNA editing of atp6 transcripts. Our data suggest that loss of atp6 RNA editing contributes to or causes cytoplasmic male sterility in S. bicolor. Further analysis of the mechanism of cell type-specific loss of atp6 RNA editing activity may advance our understanding of the mechanism of RNA editing.

The Arabidopsis male-sterile mutant, opr3, lacks the 12-oxophytodienoic acid reductase required for jasmonate synthesis

Jasmonic acid (JA) and its precursor 12-oxophytodienoic acid (OPDA) act as plant growth regulators and mediate responses to environmental cues. To investigate the role of these oxylipins in anther and pollen development, we characterized a T-DNA-tagged, male-sterile mutant of Arabidopsis, opr3. The opr3 mutant plants are sterile but can be rendered fertile by exogenous JA but not by OPDA. Cloning of the mutant locus indicates that it encodes an isozyme of 12-oxophytodienoate reductase, designated OPR3. All of the defects in opr3 are alleviated by transformation of the mutant with an OPR3 cDNA. Our results indicate that JA and not OPDA is the signaling molecule that induces and coordinates the elongation of the anther filament, the opening of the stomium at anthesis, and the production of viable pollen. Just as importantly, our data demonstrate that OPR3 is the only isoform of OPR capable of reducing the correct stereoisomer of OPDA to produce JA required for male gametophyte development.

Transgenic male-sterile plant induced by an unedited atp9 gene is restored to fertility by inhibiting its expression with antisense RNA.

We have previously shown that the expression of an unedited atp9 chimeric gene correlated with male-sterile phenotype in transgenic tobacco plant. To study the relationship between the expression of chimeric gene and the male-sterile trait, hemizygous and homozygous transgenic tobacco lines expressing the antisense atp9 RNA were constructed. The antisense producing plants were crossed with a homozygous male-sterile line, and the F1 progeny was analyzed. The offspring from crosses between homozygous lines produced only male-fertile plants, suggesting that the expression antisense atp9 RNA abolishes the effect of the unedited chimeric gene. In fact, the plants restored to male fertility showed a dramatic reduction of the unedited atp9 transcript levels, resulting in normal flower development and seed production. These results support our previous observation that the expression of unedited atp9 gene can induce male sterility.

Understanding male sterility in Miconia species (Melastomataceae): a morphological approach

Pollen abortion occurs in virtually all species and often does not prejudice reproductive success. However, large numbers of abnormal pollen grains are characteristic of some groups. Among them is Miconia, in which partial and complete male sterility is often related to apomixis. In this study, we compared the morphology of pollen grains over several developmental stages in Miconia species with different rates of male sterility. Our aim was to improve the knowledge of mechanisms that lead to male sterility in this ecologically important tropical group. Routine techniques for microscopy were used to examine anthers in several developmental stages collected from the apomictic species Miconia albicans and M. stenostachya. Both species are completely male sterile since even the pollen grains with apparently normal cytoplasm were not able to develop a pollen tube. Meiosis is a rare event in M. albicans anthers and happens in an irregular way in M. stenostachya, leading to the pollen abortion. M. albicans has more severe abnormalities than M. stenostachya since even the microspores and pollen grain walls were affected. Moreover, in M. stenostachya, most mitosis occurring during microgametogenesis was also abnormal, leading to the formation of bicellular pollen grains with two similar cells, in addition to the formation of pollen grains of different sizes. Notably, abnormalities in both species did not reach the production of Ubisch bodies, suggesting little or no tapetum involvement in male sterility in these two species.

A cytoplasmic male sterility-associated mitochondrial protein causes pollen disruption in transgenic tobacco.

In higher plants, dominant mitochondrial mutations are associated with pollen sterility. This phenomenon is known as cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS). It is thought that the disruption in pollen development is a consequence of mitochondrial dysfunction. To provide definitive evidence that expression of an abnormal mitochondrial gene can interrupt pollen development, a CMS-associated mitochondrial DNA sequence from common bean, orf239, was introduced into the tobacco nuclear genome. Several transformants containing the orf239 gene constructs, with or without a mitochondrial targeting sequence, exhibited a semi sterile or male-sterile phenotype. Expression of the gene fusions in transformed anthers was confirmed using RNA gel blotting, ELISA, and light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry. Immunocytological analysis showed that the ORF239 protein could associate with the cell wall of aberrant developing microspores. This pattern of extracellular localization was earlier observed in the CMS common bean line containing orf239 in the mitochondrial genome. Results presented here demonstrate that ORF239 causes pollen disruption in transgenic tobacco plants and may do so without targeting of the protein to the mitochondrion.

Patterns of release of the secondary conidia of Claviceps africana, the sorghum ergot pathogen in Australia

Trials were conducted in southern Queensland, Australia between March and May 2003, 2004 and 2005 to study patterns of hourly and daily release of the secondary conidia of Claviceps africana and their relationships with weather parameters. Conidia were trapped for at least one hour on most (> 90%) days in 2003 and 2004, but only on 55% of days in 2005. Both the highest daily concentration of conidia, and the highest number of hours per day when conidia were trapped, were recorded 1-3 days after rainfall events. Although the pattern of conidial release was different every day, the highest hourly conidial concentrations occurred between 10.00 hours and 17.00 hours on 73% of all days in the three trials. Hours when conidia were trapped were characterized by higher median values of temperature, windspeed and vapour pressure deficit, lower relative humidity, and leaf wetness values of 0%, than hours when no conidia were recorded. The results indicate that fungicides need to be applied to the highly ergot-susceptible male sterile (A-) lines of sorghum in hybrid seed production blocks and breeders' nurseries as soon as possible after rainfall events to minimize ergot severity.

缘毛鸟足兰的生殖生态学研究

缘毛鸟足兰是在具有近20,000种的兰科中迄今为止报导过的雄性不育类型与两性类型共存的唯一例子。深入研究缘毛鸟足兰中雄性不育类型和两性类型共存的现象有助于丰富对兰科生殖系统演化的理解。本文通过生殖生态学研究，得出如下结论。 1. 证实了缘毛鸟足兰中只存在两性类型和雄性不育类型。雄性不育类型始终与两性类型出现在同一居群中，没有单独的雄性不育类型居群。雄性不育类型在调查的16个居群中，在6个居群中出现，约占38%。两种类型共存的居群中雄性不育类型的比率变化很大，从1%到78%，但只在一个居群中超过50%。 2. 通过交配系统实验发现，共存于同一居群中的短距雌性类型和两性类型都存在无融合生殖方式，种子的形成无需授粉。本文第一次报导了在兰科中存在同一无融合生殖种中两性类型和雄性不育类型共存于同一居群的现象。 3. 缘毛鸟足兰花部结构变异很大，结合性别和花的形态特征，将缘毛鸟足兰划分为6类生物型，分别是小花两性、大花两性、短距两性、短距雌性、长距雌性和三瓣雌性。 4. 在同一居群中短距雌性型和小花两性型在生殖和生态上存在差异：1)短距雌性型更能耐受不利的环境条件;2) 短距雌性型的花期早于两性型;3) 短距雌性型平均单株结实较多，但从平均单株产生的胚总数上看，两种类型之间却没有显著差异;4)在资源分配策略上，两种类型各有利弊。

湖北光周期敏感核不育水稻雄性器官发育中长日抑制作用的研究

本文研究了HPGMR农垦58S及农垦58品种与雄性器官发育有关的基本光周期反应特性。探索了与光周期反应过程有关的叶片特异蛋白变化，对HPGMR的研究及这一材料在光周期现象研究中的意义提出了一些看法。 实验得到以下三点主要结果： 1、58S及58生长发育过程在不同阶段均可受到光周期的影响，共同的表现是长日起抑制效应而短日起促进效应。这种效应的基本特征是累积性。对于生殖器官发生而言，存在有一定的短日需求阈值，当所给短日少于需求阈值时，器官的发生过程受阻乃至中断，在幼穗分化上表现为不抽穗;在雄性器官发育上，对予58S这一特殊材料而言，可表现出发育的中止，即mst。在58上不能引起类似的反应，这是由两个材料不同的遗传背景决定的。 2、对于58S及58，10天14h的长日光周期可以在键壮的功能叶片中诱导出一个35KDPI5.1的蛋白质。在本实验所用的电泳系统中，尚未检测到其他受光周期调节的蛋白质。 3、不同品种（系）的叶片蛋白电泳结果表明，在58S及由其转育的晚粳类型的PGMR材料中，均存在一个60KDPI5.5的蛋白。在只对光周期有反应但不出现不育的材料（58）和只表现不育但无光周期反应的材料（野败型不育系珍汕97A等）中，均不存在该蛋白。 根据以上结果，本文提出以下三点看法： 1、HPGMR中光周期控制的雄性不育，是水稻这种短日植物在幼穗分化过程中，短日需求未得到满足而在特殊遗传背景中表现出的雄性器官正常发育的中止。这一概念包括两个方面，一是幼穗发育过程有短日需求，二是雄性器官对经叶片转换的日长信号有特殊的反应。根据这种看法，建议在育种上应以幼穗发育有短日需求的材料为不育性状的转育对象;在机理研究上应更加注意雄性器官发生过程的研究。 2、60KD蛋白可能是判断一个水稻材料是否具有稳定光敏不育特性的有效指标。这一看法若经进一步实验确认，则不仅可在MPGMR的应用上起积极的作用，而且还可为光敏不育性状的遗传控制及操作的研究提供一个很好的入手点。 3、长日诱导35KD蛋白在不同叶位的叶片中出现、结合长日对不同生育阶段的抑制，暗示光周期反应中叶片和顶端关系上存在这样一种可能：即叶片是信号转换器，把环境的日长信号转换为顶端可以接受的生物信号，这种转换只要有环境信号存在即可进行，但顶端是否对此做出相应的反应则取决于顶端自身的状态。这样一种对光周期反应的假设可能将有助于对光周期现象的认识。但若要对它进行实验研究，必须用同样的光周期可以在顶端引起不同反应的实验系统。HPGMR即是这样一种合适的实验系统。从这个意义上，HPGMR及其叶片中的35KD蛋白有可能对光周期反应这一重要的植物发育现象的研究做出有意义的贡献。