Cloning and characterization of MS5 from Arabidopsis: a gene critical in male meiosis.
In this paper, we describe the cloning of the MS5 gene, a gene essential for male fertility in Arabidopsis. We previously defined the MS5 locus by characterizing an EMS-induced allele, ms5-1. We identified a new allele of MS5 (ms5-2) that was T-DNA-generated and used the T-DNA tag to clone the gene. Sequencing of mutant and wild-type alleles together with complementation of the ms5-1 mutant phenotype with a wild-type genomic clone confirmed the identity of the gene. Differences between the phenotypes of the two mutant alleles could be attributed to differences in mutant gene structure. The semi-dominant and dominant negative phenotypes of the ms5-2 mutant probably result from production of a truncated polypeptide. An unknown locus in Landsberg erecta can counteract the dominant negative phenotype of ms5-2. Mutations in MS5 cause the formation 'polyads'--tetrads with more than four pools of chromosomes after male meiosis. Similarities between the MS5 sequence and that of a number of proteins were found; two that may be significant were with a synaptonemal complex protein and with a regulatory subunit of a cyclin-dependent kinase. The MS5 gene is a member of a small gene family highly conserved amongst plant species.
Glover
J
J
CSIRO Division of Plant Industry, Canberra, Australia.
Grelon
M
M
Craig
S
S
Chaudhury
A
A
Dennis
E
E
D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018388:Codon, Terminator / Q000235:genetics; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D017343:Genes, Plant; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D008540:Meiosis / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013573:Synaptonemal Complex / Q000235:genetics; D014404:Tubulin / Q000235:genetics
D018388:Codon, Terminator; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D018744:DNA, Plant; D010940:Plant Proteins; C036483:T-DNA; D014404:Tubulin; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases