Callose synthesis during reproductive development in monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants

Abstract

Callose, a linear b-1,3-glucan molecule, plays important roles in a variety of processes in angiosperms, including development and the response to biotic and abiotic stress. Despite the importance of callose deposition, our understanding of the roles of callose in rice reproductive development and the regulation of callose biosynthesis is limited. GLUCAN SYNTHASE-LIKE genes encode callose synthases (GSLs), which function in the production of callose at diverse sites in plants. Studies have shown that callose participated in plant reproductive development, and that the timely deposition and degradation of callose were essential for normal male gametophyte development. In this mini-review, we described conserved sequences found in GSL family proteins from monocotyledonous (Oryza sativa and Zea mays) and dicotyledonous (Arabidopsis thaliana and Glycine max) plants. We also describe the latest findings on callose biosynthesis and deposition during reproductive development and discuss future challenges in unraveling the mechanism of callose synthesis and deposition in higher plants.

A study of male fertility control in Medicago truncatula uncovers an evolutionarily conserved recruitment of two tapetal bHLH subfamilies in plant sexual reproduction

“…The generation and degeneration of the callose cell wall was found to be important for both the development and release of the microspores (Shi et al ., 2016). As the ean1‐1 produced abnormally unreleased microspores, we utilized aniline blue staining to test whether callose metabolism was altered in ean1‐1 mutants.…”

The Arabidopsis AGC kinases NDR2/4/5 interact with MOB1A/1B and play important roles in pollen development and germination

“…In pollen development, spatial accumulation of callose in pollen and its timing are strictly controlled (Lu et al, 2014;Shi et al, 2016). The precise accumulation of callose also is very important for pollen germination and pollen tube growth.…”

Plasmodesmata Conductivity Regulation: A Mechanistic Model

“…A. thaliana AtCalSs are encoded by 12 glucan-synthase-like genes (AtGSL1 to AtGSL12) and are large proteins (1770-1950 amino acids) possessing a large central catalytic domain which includes a UDP-glucose catalytic site and a glycosyltransferase domain surrounded by multiple transmembrane domains [69,118]. CalSs are located in the PM and exhibit high substrate specificity for the nucleotide sugar uridine diphosphate glucose (UDP-glucose) [37,47,119]. Several isoforms of AtCalSs were found in the proteome of trans-Golgi-network-derived vesicles [120] indicating that these proteins are conventionally secreted.…”