No abstract

We present the identification, cloning, and characterization ofa self-incompatibility (S) gene from Papaver rhoeas that has no significant homology to any previously reported gene sequences, including S genes from other species.This result suggests that a different self-incompatibility mechanism may be operating in this species and has important implications for the evolutionary relationships between the S genes. The S1 cDNA was cloned by using an oligonucleotide based upon N-terminal amino acid sequence data from stigmatic proteins that show complete linkage with the Si gene. The single-copy gene has been expressed in Escherichia coil to test biological activity. Although the recombinant S1 protein (Se) is not processed in the same way as the protein produced in the plant, it exhibits, in vitro, the specific pollen inhibitory activity expected of an S gene product; pollen carrying the Si allele is inhibited, whereas pollen not carrying Si is not inhibited. These results provide definitive demonstration that the product of a cloned S gene has S-specific pollen inhibitory activity.

Higher plants produce seed through pollination, using specific interactions between pollen and pistil. Self-incompatibility (SI) is an important mechanism used in many species to prevent inbreeding, and is controlled by a multi-allelic S locus1,2. “Self” (incompatible) pollen is discriminated from “non-self” (compatible) pollen, by interaction of pollen and pistil S locus components, and is subsequently inhibited. In Papaver rhoeas, the pistil S locus product is a small protein that interacts with incompatible pollen, triggering a Ca2+-dependent signalling network, resulting in pollen inhibition and programmed cell death3-7. Here we have cloned three alleles of a highly polymorphic pollen-expressed gene, PrpS, from Papaver and provide evidence that this encodes the pollen S locus determinant. PrpS is a single copy gene linked to the pistil S gene, PrsS. Sequence analysis indicates that PrsS and PrpS are equally ancient and are likely to have co-evolved. PrpS encodes a novel ~20 kDa protein. Consistent with predictions that it is a transmembrane protein, PrpS is associated with the plasma membrane. We show that a predicted extracellular loop segment of PrpS interacts with PrsS and, using PrpS antisense oligonucleotides, we demonstrate that PrpS is involved in S-specific inhibition of incompatible pollen. Identification of PrpS represents a major advance in our understanding of the Papaver SI system. As a novel cell-cell recognition determinant it contributes to the available information concerning the origins and evolution of cell-cell recognition systems involved in discrimination between “self” and “non-self”, which also include histocompatibility systems in primitive chordates and vertebrates.

The role of Ca2+ signalling during the self‐incompatibility (SI) response in Papaver rhoeas L. has been investigated using Ca2+‐sensitive dyes. Pollen tubes were micro‐injected with Calcium Green‐1 and cytosolic free calcium ([Ca2+]i) imaged using laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). Addition of incompatible stigmatic S‐glycoproteins induced a transient increase in the level of [Ca2+]i in pollen tubes. In contrast, no rise in [Ca2+]i was detectable after addition of either compatible or heat‐denatured incompatible stigmatic S‐glycoproteins. The elevation of [Ca2+]i was followed by the specific inhibition of pollen tube growth in incompatible reactions. It has been shown previously that gene expression in pollen tubes is switched on during an incompatible reaction. Since the [Ca2+]i transient appeared to originate from the region where the nuclei are located, Ca2+ may be involved in locally regulating the expression of these genes. The photoactivation of caged Ca2+ to artificially elevate [Ca2+]i resulted in the inhibition of pollen tube growth and thus mimicked the SI response. Taken together, the results provide an important link between a transient rise in [Ca2+]i and the biological phenomenon of inhibition of pollen tube growth and demonstrate, for the first time, direct evidence that the SI response in P. rhoeas is mediated by [Ca2+]i.

Meiosis is a specialized cell division, essential in most reproducing organisms to halve the number of chromosomes, thereby enabling the restoration of ploidy levels during fertilization. A key step of meiosis is homologous recombination, which promotes homologous pairing and generates crossovers (COs) to connect homologous chromosomes until their separation at anaphase I. These CO sites, seen cytologically as chiasmata, represent a reciprocal exchange of genetic information between two homologous nonsister chromatids. This gene reshuffling during meiosis has a significant influence on evolution and also plays an essential role in plant breeding, because a successful breeding program depends on the ability to bring the desired combinations of alleles on chromosomes. However, the number and distribution of COs during meiosis is highly constrained. There is at least one CO per chromosome pair to ensure accurate segregation of homologs, but in most organisms, the CO number rarely exceeds three regardless of chromosome size. Moreover, their positions are not random on chromosomes but exhibit regional preference. Thus, genes in recombination-poor regions tend to be inherited together, hindering the generation of novel allelic combinations that could be exploited by breeding programs. Recently, much progress has been made in understanding meiotic recombination. In particular, many genes involved in the process in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) have been identified and analyzed. With the coming challenges of food security and climate change, and our enhanced knowledge of how COs are formed, the interest and needs in manipulating CO formation are greater than ever before. In this review, we focus on advances in understanding meiotic recombination and then summarize the attempts to manipulate CO formation. Last, we pay special attention to the meiotic recombination in polyploidy, which is a common genomic feature for many crop plants.

One-sentence summary: REC8 association with the genome correlates with multiple chromatin states and is required to organize meiotic chromosome architecture and interhomolog recombination.

Pseudomonas strain CF600 is able to utilize phenol and 3,4-dimethylphenol as sole carbon and energy source. We demonstrate that growth on these substrates is by virtue of plasmid-encoded phenol hydroxylase and a meta-cleavage pathway. Screening of a genomic bank, with DNA from the previously cloned catechol2,3-dioxygenase gene of the TOL plasmid pWW0, was used in the identification of a clone which could complement a phenol-hydroxylase-deficient transposon insertion mutant. Deletion mapping and polypeptide production analysis identified a 1.2 kb region of DNA encoding a 39-5 kDa polypeptide which mediated this complementation. Enzyme activities and growth properties of Pseudomonas strains harbouring this fragment on a broad-host-range expression vector indicate that phenol hydroxylase is a multicomponent enzyme containing the 39.5 kDa polypeptide as one component.

During the leptotene stage of prophase I of meiosis, chromatids become organized into a linear looped array via a protein axis that forms along the loop bases. Establishment of the axis is essential for the subsequent synapsis of the homologous chromosome pairs and the progression of recombination to form genetic crossovers. Here, we describe ASYNAPTIC4 (ASY4), a meiotic axis protein in Arabidopsis (). ASY4 is a small coiled-coil protein that exhibits limited sequence similarity with the carboxyl-terminal region of the axis protein ASY3. We used enhanced yellow fluorescent protein-tagged ASY4 to show that ASY4 localizes to the chromosome axis throughout prophase I. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation revealed that ASY4 interacts with ASY1 and ASY3, and yeast two-hybrid analysis confirmed a direct interaction between ASY4 and ASY3. Mutants lacking full-length ASY4 exhibited defective axis formation and were unable to complete synapsis. Although the initiation of recombination appeared to be unaffected in the mutant, the number of crossovers was reduced significantly, and crossovers tended to group in the distal parts of the chromosomes. We conclude that ASY4 is required for normal axis and crossover formation. Furthermore, our data suggest that ASY3/ASY4 are the functional homologs of the mammalian SYCP2/SYCP3 axial components.