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Relationship between cytoplasmic male sterility and SPL‐like gene expression in stem mustard
Author(s) -
Yang JingHua,
Zhang MingFang,
Yu JingQuan
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
physiologia plantarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.351
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1399-3054
pISSN - 0031-9317
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3054.2008.01064.x
Subject(s) - biology , cytoplasmic male sterility , sterility , nuclear gene , microbiology and biotechnology , mitochondrion , gene , stem cell , gene expression , arabidopsis , cytoplasm , botany , genetics , mitochondrial dna , mutant
We studied how mitochondria–nuclear interactions may give rise to cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) in stem mustard exhibiting abnormal microsporogenesis. In this system, expression of SPL‐like , the counterpart of the Arabidopsis nuclear gene SPOROCYTELESS , is specifically lost in buds of CMS plants. When mitochondrial‐specific inhibitors were applied to wild‐type fertile stem mustard plants, expression of SPL‐like was repressed to some extent. As a consequence, the shape and vigor of pollen grains were severely affected, whereas the fertility of pistils remained unaltered. Thereby, we suggest that a probable pathway responsible for CMS in stem mustard involves mitochondrial retrograde regulation, with SPL‐like as a target nuclear gene for a mitochondrial signal.