The AtXTH28 Gene, a Xyloglucan Endotransglucosylase/Hydrolase, is Involved in Automatic Self-Pollination in Arabidopsis thaliana

Abstract

Successful automatic self-pollination in flowering plants is dependent on the correct development of reproductive organs. In the stamen, the appropriate growth of the filament, which largely depends on the mechanical properties of the cell wall, is required to position the anther correctly close to the stigma at the pollination stage. Xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolases (XTHs) are a family of enzymes that mediate the construction and restructuring of xyloglucan cross-links, thereby controlling the extensibility or mechanical properties of the cell wall in a wide variety of plant tissues. Our reverse genetic analysis has revealed that a loss-of-function mutation of an Arabidopsis XTH family gene, AtXTH28, led to a decrease in capability for self-pollination, probably due to inhibition of stamen filament growth. Our results also suggest that the role of AtXTH28 in the development of the stamen is not functionally redundant with its closest paralog, AtXTH27. Thus, our finding indicates that AtXTH28 is specifically involved in the growth of stamen filaments, and is required for successful automatic self-pollination in certain flowers in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Use of genotyping-by-sequencing to determine the genetic structure in the medicinal plant chamomile, and to identify flowering time and alpha-bisabolol associated SNP-loci by genome-wide association mapping

“…4585” with 3 SNPs: uncharacterized protein with significant alignments to 9 plant species, and protein kinase / salt-induced ABC1 kinase below the BLAST aligment results threshold in 2 plant species (Additional file 13 : Table S5). Xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase is described to be involved in self-pollination in Arabidopsis thaliana [ 47 ].…”

“…The BLAST alignment demonstrated that the orthologue of one of these 5 sequences (“2445”; Additional file 12 : Table S4) codes for protein connected to flowering (i.e. self-pollination) in A. thaliana [ 47 ]. Further investigations would be required to unravel the function of the identified sequences in chamomile.…”

Gene expression in developing fibres of Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) was massively altered by domestication

“…The Arabidopsis homolog of one of these, AtXTH28, helps to control elongation in siliques and stamens in a developmentally nuanced manner [50]. Similarly, leaf cell expansion and AtXTH31 expression were down-regulated in a siz1 mutant that led to salicylic acid accumulation, leading to the proposal that AtXTH31 was a positive effector of cell expansion [51].…”

Profiling of Translatomes of in Vivo–Grown Pollen Tubes Reveals Genes with Roles in Micropylar Guidance during Pollination in Arabidopsis

“…Two of these encode proteins associated with cell wall composition. IV6 encodes a putative xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase, an enzyme important for construction of the xyloglucan cross-links in the cell wall (Sasidharan et al, 2010) and required for successful automatic self-pollination in Arabidopsis (Kurasawa et al, 2009). Aniline blue staining and scanning electron microscopy observation of self-pollinated homozygous iv6 and reciprocally crossed iv6 heterozygous plants exposed defective micropyle targeting ( Figures 6O, 6S, and 6V).…”