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Author

Yanjiao Zou

Bio: Yanjiao Zou is an academic researcher from University of Massachusetts Amherst. The author has contributed to research in topics: Pollen tube & Pollen. The author has an hindex of 7, co-authored 9 publications receiving 985 citations. Previous affiliations of Yanjiao Zou include South China Agricultural University & Peking University.
Topics: Pollen tube, Pollen, Gene, Endosperm, Gene silencing

Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is shown in rice (Oryza sativa) with Boro II cytoplasm that an abnormal mitochondrial open reading frame, orf79, is cotranscribed with a duplicated atp6 (B-atp6) gene and encodes a cytotoxic peptide and plays an additional role in promoting the editing of atp 6 mRNAs, independent of its cleavage function.
Abstract: Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) and nucleus-controlled fertility restoration are widespread plant reproductive features that provide useful tools to exploit heterosis in crops. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this kind of cytoplasmic-nuclear interaction remains unclear. Here, we show in rice (Oryza sativa) with Boro II cytoplasm that an abnormal mitochondrial open reading frame, orf79, is cotranscribed with a duplicated atp6 (B-atp6) gene and encodes a cytotoxic peptide. Expression of orf79 in CMS lines and transgenic rice plants caused gametophytic male sterility. Immunoblot analysis showed that the ORF79 protein accumulates specifically in microspores. Two fertility restorer genes, Rf1a and Rf1b, were identified at the classical locus Rf-1 as members of a multigene cluster that encode pentatricopeptide repeat proteins. RF1A and RF1B are both targeted to mitochondria and can restore male fertility by blocking ORF79 production via endonucleolytic cleavage (RF1A) or degradation (RF1B) of dicistronic B-atp6/orf79 mRNA. In the presence of both restorers, RF1A was epistatic over RF1B in the mRNA processing. We have also shown that RF1A plays an additional role in promoting the editing of atp6 mRNAs, independent of its cleavage function.

568 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
22 Dec 2017-Science
TL;DR: It is proposed that RALF34 replaces RalF4 and RALf19 at the interface of pollen tube–female gametophyte contact, thereby deregulating BUPS-ANXUR signaling and in turn leading to pollen tube rupture and sperm release.
Abstract: In flowering plants, fertilization requires complex cell-to-cell communication events between the pollen tube and the female reproductive tissues, which are controlled by extracellular signaling molecules interacting with receptors at the pollen tube surface. We found that two such receptors in Arabidopsis, BUPS1 and BUPS2, and their peptide ligands, RALF4 and RALF19, are pollen tube-expressed and are required to maintain pollen tube integrity. BUPS1 and BUPS2 interact with receptors ANXUR1 and ANXUR2 via their ectodomains, and both sets of receptors bind RALF4 and RALF19. These receptor-ligand interactions are in competition with the female-derived ligand RALF34, which induces pollen tube bursting at nanomolar concentrations. We propose that RALF34 replaces RALF4 and RALF19 at the interface of pollen tube-female gametophyte contact, thereby deregulating BUPS-ANXUR signaling and in turn leading to pollen tube rupture and sperm release.

260 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This work shows that a tip-located, cell membrane-anchored actin-nucleating protein, the Arabidopsis formin homology5 (FH5) plays a pivotal role in establishing the subapical actin and apical vesicular organization critical for tip-focused growth in pollen tubes.
Abstract: Pollen tubes are highly polarized plant cells specialized in delivering sperm for fertilization. Pollen tube growth is rapid, occurs exclusively at the tip, and can reach distances thousands of times the diameter of the pollen grain without cell division, thus representing an excellent model system for studying asymmetric cell growth. In flowering plants, pollen tube growth is dependent on the actin cytoskeleton, which supports an efficient vesicle trafficking system to deliver membrane and cell-wall materials to the tube tip. A highly dynamic subapical actin structure and an apical vesicular zone are known to be critical for the tip-growth process. How this apical organization is maintained, how the subapical actin structure is assembled, and direct evidence for its functional coupling with tip growth remain to be established. Here, we show that a tip-located, cell membrane-anchored actin-nucleating protein, the Arabidopsis formin homology5 (FH5), stimulates actin assembly from the subapical membrane, provides actin filaments for vesicular trafficking to the apical dome, and mediates assembly of the subapical actin structure. Moreover, FH5-expressing pollen tubes provided a unique opportunity to demonstrate that assembly of the subapical actin structure is concomitant with the acquisition of rapid tip growth, providing further support for their functional coupling. Together, our results show that FH5 plays a pivotal role in establishing the subapical actin and apical vesicular organization critical for tip-focused growth in pollen tubes.

130 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The SNP results revealed some common and contrasting patterns of the haplotype diversity along different rice chromosomes in the Indica and Japonica accessions, which suggest different evolutionary forces possibly acting in specific regions of the rice genome during domestication and evolution of rice.
Abstract: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the most abundant DNA markers in plant genomes. In this study, based on 54,465 SNPs between the genomes of two Indica varieties, Minghui 63 (MH63) and Zhenshan 97 (ZS97) and additional 20,705 SNPs between the MH63 and Nipponbare genomes, we identified and confirmed 1,633 well-distributed SNPs by PCR and Sanger sequencing. From these, a set of 372 SNPs were further selected to analyze the patterns of genetic diversity in 300 representative rice inbred lines from 22 rice growing countries worldwide. Using this set of SNPs, we were able to uncover the well-known Indica-Japonica subspecific differentiation and geographic differentiations within Indica and Japonica. Furthermore, our SNP results revealed some common and contrasting patterns of the haplotype diversity along different rice chromosomes in the Indica and Japonica accessions, which suggest different evolutionary forces possibly acting in specific regions of the rice genome during domestication and evolution of rice. Our results demonstrated that this set of SNPs can be used as anchor SNPs for large scale genotyping in rice molecular breeding research involving Indica-Japonica and Indica-Indica crosses.

102 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a large volume of work spanning more than two decades on a family of pollen-specific receptor kinases and some recent studies on members of the FERONIA family of receptor-like kinases (RLKs) was discussed.
Abstract: Background RAC/ROPs are RHO-type GTPases and are known to play diverse signalling roles in plants. Cytoplasmic RAC/ROPs are recruited to the cell membrane and activated in response to extracellular signals perceived and mediated by cell surface-located signalling assemblies, transducing the signals to regulate cellular processes. More than any other cell types in plants, pollen tubes depend on continuous interactions with an extracellular environment produced by their surrounding tissues as they grow within the female organ pistil to deliver sperm to the female gametophyte for fertilization. Scope We review studies on pollen tube growth that provide compelling evidence indicating that RAC/ROPs are crucial for regulating the cellular processes that underlie the polarized cell growth process. Efforts to identify cell surface regulators that mediate extracellular signals also point to RAC/ROPs being the molecular switches targeted by growth-regulating female factors for modulation to mediate pollination and fertilization. We discuss a large volume of work spanning more than two decades on a family of pollen-specific receptor kinases and some recent studies on members of the FERONIA family of receptor-like kinases (RLKs). Significance The research described shows the crucial roles that two RLK families play in transducing signals from growth regulatory factors to the RAC/ROP switch at the pollen tube apex to mediate and target pollen tube growth to the female gametophyte and signal its disintegration to achieve fertilization once inside the female chamber.

27 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Several recent papers are discussed that cover the evolutionary history and molecular mode of action of Pentatricopeptide repeat proteins, and propose hypotheses for their physiological roles that could explain why PPR proteins are so numerous in terrestrial plants.

772 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Recent breakthroughs in understanding how PPR proteins recognize RNA sequences through modular base-specific contacts will help match proteins to potential binding sites and provide a pathway toward designing synthetic RNA-binding proteins aimed at desired targets.
Abstract: Pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins constitute one of the largest protein families in land plants, with more than 400 members in most species. Over the past decade, much has been learned about the molecular functions of these proteins, where they act in the cell, and what physiological roles they play during plant growth and development. A typical PPR protein is targeted to mitochondria or chloroplasts, binds one or several organellar transcripts, and influences their expression by altering RNA sequence, turnover, processing, or translation. Their combined action has profound effects on organelle biogenesis and function and, consequently, on photosynthesis, respiration, plant development, and environmental responses. Recent breakthroughs in understanding how PPR proteins recognize RNA sequences through modular base-specific contacts will help match proteins to potential binding sites and provide a pathway toward designing synthetic RNA-binding proteins aimed at desired targets.

754 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Recent advances in elucidating the intracellular signalling pathways that coordinate gene expression between organelles and the nucleus are reviewed, with a focus on photosynthetic plants.
Abstract: Following the acquisition of chloroplasts and mitochondria by eukaryotic cells during endosymbiotic evolution, most of the genes in these organelles were either lost or transferred to the nucleus. Encoding organelle-destined proteins in the nucleus allows for host control of the organelle. In return, organelles send signals to the nucleus to coordinate nuclear and organellar activities. In photosynthetic eukaryotes, additional interactions exist between mitochondria and chloroplasts. Here we review recent advances in elucidating the intracellular signalling pathways that coordinate gene expression between organelles and the nucleus, with a focus on photosynthetic plants.

606 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Recent research on CMS and EGMS systems in crops are reviewed, general models of male sterility and fertility restoration are summarized, and the evolutionary significance of these reproductive systems are discussed.
Abstract: In plants, male sterility can be caused either by mitochondrial genes with coupled nuclear genes or by nuclear genes alone; the resulting conditions are known as cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) and genic male sterility (GMS), respectively. CMS and GMS facilitate hybrid seed production for many crops and thus allow breeders to harness yield gains associated with hybrid vigor (heterosis). In CMS, layers of interaction between mitochondrial and nuclear genes control its male specificity, occurrence, and restoration of fertility. Environment-sensitive GMS (EGMS) mutants may involve epigenetic control by noncoding RNAs and can revert to fertility under different growth conditions, making them useful breeding materials in the hybrid seed industry. Here, we review recent research on CMS and EGMS systems in crops, summarize general models of male sterility and fertility restoration, and discuss the evolutionary significance of these reproductive systems.

556 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The nature and the origin of the genes that determine plant trait cytoplasmic male sterility are reviewed, together with recent investigations that have exploited CMS to provide new insights into plant mitochondrial-nuclear communication.

540 citations