Silencing of a Pectin Acetylesterase (PAE) Gene Highly Expressed in Tobacco Pistils Negatively Affects Pollen Tube Growth
Successful plant reproduction and fruit formation depend on adequate pollen and pistil development, and pollen–pistil interactions. In <i>Nicotiana tabacum</i>, pollen tubes grow through the intercellular spaces of pistil-specialized tissues, stigmatic secretory zone, and stylar transmit...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Plants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/2/329 |
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| author | Greice Lubini Pedro Boscariol Ferreira Andréa Carla Quiapim Michael Santos Brito Viviane Cossalter Maria Cristina S. Pranchevicius Maria Helena S. Goldman |
| author_facet | Greice Lubini Pedro Boscariol Ferreira Andréa Carla Quiapim Michael Santos Brito Viviane Cossalter Maria Cristina S. Pranchevicius Maria Helena S. Goldman |
| author_sort | Greice Lubini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Successful plant reproduction and fruit formation depend on adequate pollen and pistil development, and pollen–pistil interactions. In <i>Nicotiana tabacum</i>, pollen tubes grow through the intercellular spaces of pistil-specialized tissues, stigmatic secretory zone, and stylar transmitting tissue (STT). These intercellular spaces are supposed to be formed by the modulation of cell wall pectin esterification. Previously we have identified a gene preferentially expressed in pistils encoding a putative pectin acetylesterase (PAE), named <i>NtPAE1</i>. Here, we characterized the <i>NtPAE1</i> gene and performed genome-wide and phylogenetic analyses of PAEs. We identified 30 PAE sequences in the <i>N. tabacum</i> genome, distributed in four clades. The expression of <i>NtPAE1</i> was assessed by RT-qPCR and <i>in situ</i> hybridization. We confirmed <i>NtPAE1</i> preferential expression in stigmas/styles and ovaries and demonstrated its high expression in the STT. Structural predictions and comparisons between NtPAE1 and functional enzymes validated its identity as a PAE. Transgenic plants were produced, overexpressing and silencing the <i>NtPAE1</i> gene. Overexpressed plants displayed smaller flowers while silencing plants exhibited collapsed pollen grains, which hardly germinate. <i>NtPAE1</i> silencing plants do not produce fruits, due to impaired pollen tube growth in their STTs. Thus, NtPAE1 is an essential enzyme regulating pectin modifications in flowers and, ultimately, in plant reproduction. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T11:25:36Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T11:25:36Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj.art-9e3a2255074142cd9bd8f8b4a12084fc2023-12-01T00:04:58ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472023-01-0112232910.3390/plants12020329Silencing of a Pectin Acetylesterase (PAE) Gene Highly Expressed in Tobacco Pistils Negatively Affects Pollen Tube GrowthGreice Lubini0Pedro Boscariol Ferreira1Andréa Carla Quiapim2Michael Santos Brito3Viviane Cossalter4Maria Cristina S. Pranchevicius5Maria Helena S. Goldman6Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, BrazilDepartamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, BrazilDepartamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, BrazilDepartamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, BrazilDepartamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, BrazilDepartamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos 13565-905, SP, BrazilDepartamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, BrazilSuccessful plant reproduction and fruit formation depend on adequate pollen and pistil development, and pollen–pistil interactions. In <i>Nicotiana tabacum</i>, pollen tubes grow through the intercellular spaces of pistil-specialized tissues, stigmatic secretory zone, and stylar transmitting tissue (STT). These intercellular spaces are supposed to be formed by the modulation of cell wall pectin esterification. Previously we have identified a gene preferentially expressed in pistils encoding a putative pectin acetylesterase (PAE), named <i>NtPAE1</i>. Here, we characterized the <i>NtPAE1</i> gene and performed genome-wide and phylogenetic analyses of PAEs. We identified 30 PAE sequences in the <i>N. tabacum</i> genome, distributed in four clades. The expression of <i>NtPAE1</i> was assessed by RT-qPCR and <i>in situ</i> hybridization. We confirmed <i>NtPAE1</i> preferential expression in stigmas/styles and ovaries and demonstrated its high expression in the STT. Structural predictions and comparisons between NtPAE1 and functional enzymes validated its identity as a PAE. Transgenic plants were produced, overexpressing and silencing the <i>NtPAE1</i> gene. Overexpressed plants displayed smaller flowers while silencing plants exhibited collapsed pollen grains, which hardly germinate. <i>NtPAE1</i> silencing plants do not produce fruits, due to impaired pollen tube growth in their STTs. Thus, NtPAE1 is an essential enzyme regulating pectin modifications in flowers and, ultimately, in plant reproduction.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/2/329pollen–pistil interactionplant fertilityplant reproductionpistil developmentfruit formationpectin modification |
| spellingShingle | Greice Lubini Pedro Boscariol Ferreira Andréa Carla Quiapim Michael Santos Brito Viviane Cossalter Maria Cristina S. Pranchevicius Maria Helena S. Goldman Silencing of a Pectin Acetylesterase (PAE) Gene Highly Expressed in Tobacco Pistils Negatively Affects Pollen Tube Growth Plants pollen–pistil interaction plant fertility plant reproduction pistil development fruit formation pectin modification |
| title | Silencing of a Pectin Acetylesterase (PAE) Gene Highly Expressed in Tobacco Pistils Negatively Affects Pollen Tube Growth |
| title_full | Silencing of a Pectin Acetylesterase (PAE) Gene Highly Expressed in Tobacco Pistils Negatively Affects Pollen Tube Growth |
| title_fullStr | Silencing of a Pectin Acetylesterase (PAE) Gene Highly Expressed in Tobacco Pistils Negatively Affects Pollen Tube Growth |
| title_full_unstemmed | Silencing of a Pectin Acetylesterase (PAE) Gene Highly Expressed in Tobacco Pistils Negatively Affects Pollen Tube Growth |
| title_short | Silencing of a Pectin Acetylesterase (PAE) Gene Highly Expressed in Tobacco Pistils Negatively Affects Pollen Tube Growth |
| title_sort | silencing of a pectin acetylesterase pae gene highly expressed in tobacco pistils negatively affects pollen tube growth |
| topic | pollen–pistil interaction plant fertility plant reproduction pistil development fruit formation pectin modification |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/2/329 |
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