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Small RNAs in pollen.

Hui He1, TianYu Yang, WenYe Wu

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China.

Science China. Life Sciences
|January 31, 2015
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Summary
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Plant pollen contains small RNAs like microRNAs (miRNAs) and short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) that are crucial for sperm cell development. These small RNAs also help silence transposable elements, ensuring genetic stability during reproduction.

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Area of Science:

  • Plant reproductive biology
  • Molecular genetics
  • Epigenetics

Background:

  • Mature pollen grains contain a vegetative cell (VC) and two sperm cells (SCs).
  • The VC supports SCs during pollen tube germination and ovule delivery.
  • Small RNAs, including miRNAs and siRNAs, are detected in both VC and SCs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To summarize the biogenesis and function of small RNAs in pollen.
  • To highlight the coordinated roles of miRNAs, siRNAs, and easiRNAs in sperm cell formation and transposable element (TE) silencing.

Main Methods:

  • In-depth sequencing analyses of mature pollen.
  • Investigating the processing of transposable element mRNAs into epigenetically reactivated siRNAs (easiRNAs).

Main Results:

  • Transposable elements (TEs) are reactivated in the VC and processed into 21-nt easiRNAs in SCs.
  • EasiRNAs prevent 24-nt siRNA accumulation and sequester miRNA loading.
  • Small RNAs are proposed to move from VC to SCs, regulating gene expression and reinforcing TE silencing.

Conclusions:

  • Small RNAs play a coordinated role in plant male gametogenesis.
  • These molecules are essential for both sperm cell development and maintaining genome integrity through TE silencing.