title: Rice MADS3 regulates ROS homeostasis during late anther development.
abstract: The rice (Oryza sativa) floral homeotic C-class gene, MADS3, was previously shown to be required for stamen identity determination during early flower development. Here, we describe a role for MADS3 in regulating late anther development and pollen formation. Consistent with this role, MADS3 is highly expressed in the tapetum and microspores during late anther development, and a newly identified MADS3 mutant allele, mads3-4, displays defective anther walls, aborted microspores, and complete male sterility. During late anther development, mads3-4 exhibits oxidative stress-related phenotypes. Microarray analysis revealed expression level changes in many genes in mads3-4 anthers. Some of these genes encode proteins involved in reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis; among them is MT-1-4b, which encodes a type 1 small Cys-rich and metal binding protein. In vivo and in vitro assays showed that MADS3 is associated with the promoter of MT-1-4b, and recombinant MT-1-4b has superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity. Reducing the expression of MT-1-4b causes decreased pollen fertility and an increased level of superoxide anion in transgenic plants. Our findings suggest that MADS3 is a key transcriptional regulator that functions in rice male reproductive development, at least in part, by modulating ROS levels through MT-1-4b.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
authors.forename: Lifang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Wanqi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Changsong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zong
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jianping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Dabing
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D035264:Flowers / Q000254:growth & development*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D006706:Homeostasis; D026161:MADS Domain Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D051479:Plant Infertility; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D026161:MADS Domain Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D018749:RNA, Plant; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013481:Superoxides