Whole Genome Analysis of Gene Expression Reveals Coordinated Activation of Signaling and Metabolic Pathways during Pollen-Pistil Interactions in Arabidopsis

• Published in: Plant physiology (Bethesda) Vol. 155; no. 4; pp. 2066 - 2080
• Main Authors: Boavida, Leonor C., Borges, Filipe, Becker, Jörg D., Feijó, José A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Rockville, MD American Society of Plant Biologists 01.04.2011; Oxford University Press ; American Society of Plant Biologists
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Arabidopsis - genetics; Arabidopsis - physiology; Arabidopsis thaliana; Biological and medical sciences; Cluster Analysis; Computational Biology; Datasets; DEVELOPMENT AND HORMONE ACTION; Flowers - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gametophytes; Gene expression; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene expression regulation; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Genes; Genetics and breeding of economic plants; Genome, Plant; Heterosis. Floral biology applications: apomixy, male sterility, incompatibility, varia; Life Sciences; Metabolic Networks and Pathways; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Ovules; Plant breeding: fundamental aspects and methodology; Plant physiology and development; Plants; Pollen; Pollen - physiology; Pollen tubes; Pollination; RNA, Plant - genetics; Sexual reproduction; Signal Transduction; Time Factors; Vegetative and sexual reproduction, floral biology, fructification; Arabidopsis thaliana; Plant physiology; Cruciferae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Spermatophyta; Activation; Metabolic pathway; Experimental plant; Gene expression; Genome; Pollen pistil interaction; RNA, Plant; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Signal Transduction; Arabidopsis; Computational Biology; Gene Expression Profiling; Flowers; Genome, Plant; Pollination; Metabolic Networks and Pathways; Time Factors; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Pollen; Cluster Analysis
• ISSN: 0032-0889; 1532-2548; 1532-2548
• DOI: 10.1104/pp.110.169813

Plant reproduction depends on the concerted activation of many genes to ensure correct communication between pollen and pistil. Here, we queried the whole transcriptome of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) in order to identify genes with specific reproductive functions. We used the Affymetrix ATH1 whole genome array to profile wild-type unpollinated pistils and unfertilized ovules. By comparing the expression profile of pistils at 0.5, 3.5, and 8.0 h after pollination and applying a number of statistical and bioinformatics criteria, we found 1,373 genes differentially regulated during pollen-pistil interactions. Robust clustering analysis grouped these genes in 16 time-course clusters representing distinct patterns of regulation. Coregulation within each cluster suggests the presence of distinct genetic pathways, which might be under the control of specific transcriptional regulators. A total of 78% of the regulated genes were expressed initially in unpollinated pistil and/or ovules, 15% were initially detected in the pollen data sets as enriched or preferentially expressed, and 7% were induced upon pollination. Among those, we found a particular enrichment for unknown transcripts predicted to encode secreted proteins or representing signaling and cell wall-related proteins, which may function by remodeling the extracellular matrix or as extracellular signaling molecules. A strict regulatory control in various metabolic pathways suggests that fine-tuning of the biochemical and physiological cellular environment is crucial for reproductive success. Our study provides a unique and detailed temporal and spatial gene expression profile of in vivo pollen-pistil interactions, providing a framework to better understand the basis of the molecular mechanisms operating during the reproductive process in higher plants.