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JournalISSN: 0934-0882

Sexual Plant Reproduction 

Springer Science+Business Media
About: Sexual Plant Reproduction is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Pollen & Pollen tube. Over the lifetime, 1176 publications have been published receiving 33616 citations.
Topics: Pollen, Pollen tube, Ovule, Microspore, Pollination


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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Arabidopsis thaliana sterility mutants were identified by screening T-DNA and EMS-mutagenized lines and several male-sterile mutants with defects specific for different anther processes were studied in detail.
Abstract: We identified Arabidopsis thaliana sterility mutants by screening T-DNA and EMS-mutagenized lines and characterized several male-sterile mutants with defects specific for different anther processes. Approximately 44 and 855 sterile mutants were uncovered from the T-DNA and EMS screens, respectively. Several mutants were studied in detail with defects that included the establishment of anther morphology, microspore production, pollen differentiation, and anther dehiscence. Both non-dehiscencing and late-dehiscencing mutants were identified. In addition, pollenless mutants were observed with either apparent meiotic defects and/or abnormalities in cell layers surrounding the locules. Two mutant alleles were identified for the POLLENLESS3 locus which have defects in functional microspore production that lead to the degeneration of cells within the anther locules. pollenless3–1 contains a T-DNA insertion that co-segregates with the mutant phenotype and pollenless3–2 has a large deletion in the POLLENLESS3 gene. The POLLENLESS3 gene has no known counterparts in the GenBank, but encodes a protein containing putative nuclear localization and protein-protein interaction motifs. The POLLENLESS3 gene was shown recently to be the same as MS5, a previously described Arabidopsis thaliana male-sterility mutant. Three genes were identified in the POLLENLESS3 genomic region: GENEY, POLLENLESS3, and β9-TUBULIN. The segment of the Arabidopsis thaliana genome containing the POLLENLESS3 and β9-TUBULIN genes is duplicated and present on a different chromosome. Analysis of the POLLENLESS3 expression pattern determined that the 1.3-kb POLLENLESS3 mRNA is localized specifically within meiotic cells in the anther locules and that POLLENLESS3 mRNA is present only during late meiosis.

785 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: There has been significant progress in elucidating the composition, biogenesis and function of these important pollen structures over the past few years within the historical context of research into pollen development.
Abstract: Pollen grains contain several lipidic structures, which play a key role in their development as male gametophytes. The elaborate extracellular pollen wall, the exine, is largely formed from acyl lipid and phenylpropanoid precursors, which together form the exceptionally stable biopolymer sporopollenin. An additional extracellular lipidic matrix, the pollen coat, which is particularly prominent in entomophilous plants, covers the interstices of the exine and has many important functions in pollen dispersal and pollen-stigma recognition. The sporopollenin and pollen coat precursors are both synthesised in the tapetum under the control of the sporophytic genome, but at different stages of development. Pollen grains also contain two major intracellular lipidic structures, namely storage oil bodies and an extensive membrane network. These intracellular lipids are synthesised in the vegetative cell of the pollen grain under the control of the gametophytic genome. Over the past few years there has been significant progress in elucidating the composition, biogenesis and function of these important pollen structures. The purpose of this review is to describe these recent advances within the historical context of research into pollen development.

426 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A rapid method to analyze Arabidopsis female gametophyte structure using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and shows that synergid cell degeneration is triggered by pollination, that dramatic nuclear migrations take place during the four-nucleate stage, and that megagametogenesis within a pistil is fairly synchronous.
Abstract: The female gametophyte is an essential structure for angiosperm reproduction that mediates a host of reproductive functions and, following fertilization, gives rise to most of the seed. Here, we describe a rapid method to analyze Arabidopsis female gametophyte structure using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). We present a comprehensive description of megagametogenesis in wild-type Arabidopsis. Based on our observations, we divided Arabidopsis megagametogenesis into eight morphologically distinct stages. We show that synergid cell degeneration is triggered by pollination, that dramatic nuclear migrations take place during the four-nucleate stage, and that megagametogenesis within a pistil is fairly synchronous. Finally, we present a phenotypic analysis of the previously reported Gf mutant (Redei 1965) and show that it affects an early step of megagametogenesis.

353 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Stress-induced arrest of male gametophyte development is preceded by disturbances in carbohydrate metabolism and distribution within anthers, and an inhibition of the key sugar-cleaving enzyme, acid invertase.
Abstract: Male reproductive development in plants is highly sensitive to water deficit during meiosis in the microspore mother cells. Water deficit during this stage inhibits further development of microspores or pollen grains, causing male sterility. Female fertility, in contrast, is quite immune to stress. The injury is apparently not caused by desiccation of the reproductive tissue, but is an indirect consequence of water deficit in the vegetative organs, such as leaves. The mechanism underlying this stress response probably involves a long-distance signaling molecule, originating in the organs that undergo water loss, and affecting fertility in the reproductive tissue, which conserves its water status. Much research has been focused on the involvement of abscisic acid in this regard, but the most recent evidence tends to reject a role for this hormone in the induction of male sterility. Stress-induced arrest of male gametophyte development is preceded by disturbances in carbohydrate metabolism and distribution within anthers, and an inhibition of the key sugar-cleaving enzyme, acid invertase. Since invertase gene expression can be modulated by sugar concentration, it is possible that decreased sugar delivery to reproductive tissue upon inhibition of photosynthesis by stress is the signal that triggers metabolic lesions leading to failure of male gametophyte development.

235 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results show that it is unlikely that pollen sterility, or the attendant inhibition of starch accumulation, in water-stressed rice plants are caused by carbohydrate starvation per se, but an impairment of enzymes of sugar metabolism and starch synthesis may be among the potential causes of this failure.
Abstract: Male reproductive development of rice (Oryza sativa L) is very sensitive to drought A brief, transitory episode of water stress during meiosis in pollen mother cells of rice grown under controlled environmental conditions induced pollen sterility Anthers containing sterile pollen were smaller, thinner, and often deformed compared to normal anthers of well-watered plants Only about 20% of the fully developed florets in stressed plants produced grains, compared to 90% in well-watered controls Water stress treatments after meiosis were progressively less damaging Levels of starch and sugars and activities of key enzymes involved in sucrose cleavage and starch synthesis were analyzed in anthers collected at various developmental stages from plants briefly stressed during meiosis and then re-watered Normal starch accumulation during pollen development was strongly inhibited in stress-affected anthers During the period of stress, both reducing and non-reducing sugars accumulated in anthers After the relief of stress, reducing sugar levels fell somewhat below those in controls, but levels of non-reducing sugars remained higher than in controls Activities of acid invertase and soluble starch synthase in stressed anthers were lower than in controls at comparable stages throughout development, during as well as after stress Stress had no immediate effect on ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase activity, but had an inhibitory aftereffect throughout post-stress development Sucrose synthase activity, which was, relatively speaking, much lower than acid invertase activity, was only slightly suppressed by stress The results show that it is unlikely that pollen sterility, or the attendant inhibition of starch accumulation, in water-stressed rice plants are caused by carbohydrate starvation per se Instead, an impairment of enzymes of sugar metabolism and starch synthesis may be among the potential causes of this failure

233 citations

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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers from the Journal in previous years
YearPapers
202134
202016
201931
201833
201716
201626