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Defective Microspore Development 1 is required for microspore cell integrity and pollen wall formation in rice
Author(s) -
Ren Lijun,
Zhao Tingting,
Zhang Lei,
Du Guijie,
Shen Yi,
Tang Ding,
Li Yafei,
Luo Qiong,
Cheng Zhukuan
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
the plant journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.058
H-Index - 269
eISSN - 1365-313X
pISSN - 0960-7412
DOI - 10.1111/tpj.14811
Subject(s) - microspore , tapetum , callose , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , stamen , mutant , meiosis , pollen , botany , gene , cell wall , genetics
Summary Highly coordinated pollen wall patterning is essential for male reproductive development. Here, we report the identification of Defective Microspore Development 1 ( DMD1 ), which encodes a nuclear‐localized protein possessing transactivation activity. DMD1 is preferentially expressed in the tapetum and microspores during post‐meiotic development. Mutations in DMD1 cause a male‐sterile phenotype with impaired microspore cell integrity. The mutants display abnormal callose degradation, accompanied by inhibited primexine thickening in the newly released microspores. Several genes associated with callose degradation and primexine formation are downregulated in dmd1 anthers. In addition, irregular Ubisch body morphology and discontinuous endexine occur, and the baculum is completely absent in dmd1 . DMD1 interacts with Tapetum Degeneration Retardation (TDR), a basic helix‐loop‐helix transcription factor required for exine formation. Taken together, our results suggest that DMD1 is responsible for microspore cell integrity, primexine formation and exine pattern formation during Oryza sativa (rice) microspore development.