title: Cdi gene is required for pollen germination and tube growth in Arabidopsis.
abstract: Pollen germination and tube growth are of essential importance to sexual reproduction of flowering plants. Several biological processes including cell wall biosynthesis and modification are known to be involved in pollen tube growth, though the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely to be investigated. Here we report the identification and functional characterization of the Arabidopsis gene Cdi, which encodes a putative nucleotide-diphospho-sugar transferase. Cdi is preferentially expressed in pollen grains and pollen tubes. Transient expression of Cdi:GFP fusion protein showed that CDI is localized in the cytosol. Mutation in Cdi impaired pollen germination and pollen tube growth thus leading to disrupted male transmission. These results suggest that Cdi is an essential gene required for pollen germination and tube growth.
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics and National Center for Plant Gene Research Shanghai, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Mei
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhong-Nan
authors.initials: ZN
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ji-Ming
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gong
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000201:enzymology; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D018525:Germination; D016695:Glycosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006579:Heterozygote; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D050505:Mutant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D011058:Pollen / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D053205:Pollen Tube / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D021381:Protein Transport; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D007527:Isoenzymes; D050505:Mutant Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D016695:Glycosyltransferases