Ostkpr1 functions in anther cuticle development and pollen wall formation in rice
Dawei Xu1,2, Shuying Qu1, Matthew R Tucker3
1Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University-University of Adelaide Joint Centre for Agriculture and Health, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
Background:
During pollen wall formation in flowering plants, a conserved metabolon consisting of acyl-CoA synthetase (ACOS), polyketide synthase (PKS) and tetraketide α-pyrone reductase (TKPR), is required for sporopollenin synthesis. Despite this, the precise function of each of these components in different species remains unclear.
Results:
In this study, we characterized the function of OsTKPR1, a rice orthologue of Arabidopsis TKPR1. Loss of function of OsTKPR1 delayed tapetum degradation, reduced the levels of anther cuticular lipids, and impaired Ubisch body and pollen exine formation, resulting in complete male sterility. In addition, the phenylpropanoid pathway in mutant anthers was remarkably altered. Localization studies suggest that OsTKPR1 accumulates in the endoplasmic reticulum, while specific accumulation of OsTKPR1 mRNA in the anther tapetum and microspores is consistent with its function in anther and pollen wall development.
Conclusions:
Our results show that OsTKPR1 is indispensable for anther cuticle development and pollen wall formation in rice, providing new insights into the biochemical mechanisms of the conserved sporopollenin metabolon in flowering plants.
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