The Arabidopsis MALE STERILITY 2 protein shares similarity with reductases in elongation/condensation complexes

• Published in: The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology Vol. 12; no. 3; pp. 615 - 623
• Main Authors: Aarts, Mark G.M., Hodge, Rachel, Kalantidis, Kriton, Florack, Dion, Wilson, Zoe A., Mulligan, Bernard J., Stiekema, Willem J., Scott, Rod, Pereira, Andy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01.09.1997; Blackwell Science
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Amino Acid Sequence; Arabidopsis - enzymology; Arabidopsis - genetics; Arabidopsis - physiology; Arabidopsis Proteins; Arabidopsis thaliana; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Centrum voor Plantenveredelings- en Reproduktieonderzoek; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetics and breeding of economic plants; Heterosis. Floral biology applications: apomixy, male sterility, incompatibility, varia; Molecular Sequence Data; Phenotype; Plant breeding: fundamental aspects and methodology; Plant physiology and development; Plant Proteins - drug effects; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Sexual reproduction; Vegetative and sexual reproduction, floral biology, fructification; Gene expression; Fatty acids; Structure function relationship; Cell wall; Arabidopsis thaliana; Reduction; Gene; Cruciferae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Development; Male sterility; Spermatophyta; Pollen; Mutation; Experimental plant; Localization; Microsporogenesis; Aminoacid sequence
• ISSN: 0960-7412; 1365-313X
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-313X.1997.00615.x

Summary The Arabidopsis thaliana MALE STERILITY 2 (MS2) gene product is involved in male gametogenesis. The first abnormalities in pollen development of ms2 mutants are seen at the stage in microsporogenesis when microspores are released from tetrads. Expression of the MS2 gene is observed in tapetum of wild‐type flowers at, and shortly after, the release of microspores from tetrads. The MS2 promoter controls GUS expression at a comparable stage in the tapetum of transgenic tobacco containing an MS2 promoter‐GUS fusion. The occasional pollen grains produced by mutant ms2 plants have very thin pollen walls. They are also sensitive to acetolysis treatment, which is a test for the presence of an exine layer. The MS2 gene product shows sequence similarity to a jojoba protein that converts wax fatty acids to fatty alcohols. A possible function of the MS2 protein as a fatty acyl reductase in the formation of pollen wall substances is discussed.