ps-2, the gene responsible for functional sterility in tomato, due to non-dehiscent anthers, is the result of a mutation in a novel polygalacturonase gene.
The recessive mutation ps-2, which appeared spontaneously in tomato, confers functional male sterility due to non-dehiscent anthers. In this study, we isolated and characterized the PS-2 gene. A single nucleotide mutation in a novel tomato polygalacturonase gene is responsible for the ps-2 phenotype. The mutation in ps-2 is responsible for an alternative splicing during maturation of the pre-mRNA, which leads to an aberrant mRNA. Differentiation between ps-2 and wild type (PS-2) anthers only appears in the final developmental stage in which the stomium remains closed in the mutant. To our knowledge, this is the first functional sterility gene isolated in the Solanaceae family. The specific expression of the Arabidopsis homolog of PS-2 in the anther dehiscence zone suggests a conserved mode of action over the plant kingdom, which means that the repression of PS-2 homologs may be a potential way to introduce functional sterility in other species.
Gorguet
Benoit
B
Graduate School of Experimental Plant Sciences, Wageningen UR Plant Breeding, PO Box 386, 6700 AJ, Wageningen, The Netherlands. benoit.gorguet@deruiterseeds.com
Schipper
Danny
D
van Lammeren
André
A
Visser
Richard G F
RG
van Heusden
Adriaan W
AW
D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D035264:Flowers / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010802:Phylogeny; D051479:Plant Infertility / Q000235:genetics*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011096:Polygalacturonase / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012322:RNA Precursors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers; D010940:Plant Proteins; D012322:RNA Precursors; D011096:Polygalacturonase