title: Relationship between cytoplasmic male sterility and SPL-like gene expression in stem mustard.
abstract: We studied how mitochondria-nuclear interactions may give rise to cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) in stem mustard exhibiting abnormal microsporogenesis. In this system, expression of SPL-like, the counterpart of the Arabidopsis nuclear gene SPOROCYTELESS, is specifically lost in buds of CMS plants. When mitochondrial-specific inhibitors were applied to wild-type fertile stem mustard plants, expression of SPL-like was repressed to some extent. As a consequence, the shape and vigor of pollen grains were severely affected, whereas the fertility of pistils remained unaltered. Thereby, we suggest that a probable pathway responsible for CMS in stem mustard involves mitochondrial retrograde regulation, with SPL-like as a target nuclear gene for a mitochondrial signal.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetic Resources & Functional Improvement for Horticultural Plants, Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China.
authors.forename: Jing-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ming-Fang
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jing-Quan
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009149:Mustard Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D051479:Plant Infertility / Q000235:genetics*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011058:Pollen / Q000166:cytology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins