title: A detrimental mitochondrial-nuclear interaction causes cytoplasmic male sterility in rice.
abstract: Plant cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) results from incompatibilities between the organellar and nuclear genomes and prevents self pollination, enabling hybrid crop breeding to increase yields. The Wild Abortive CMS (CMS-WA) has been exploited in the majority of 'three-line' hybrid rice production since the 1970s, but the molecular basis of this trait remains unknown. Here we report that a new mitochondrial gene, WA352, which originated recently in wild rice, confers CMS-WA because the protein it encodes interacts with the nuclear-encoded mitochondrial protein COX11. In CMS-WA lines, WA352 accumulates preferentially in the anther tapetum, thereby inhibiting COX11 function in peroxide metabolism and triggering premature tapetal programmed cell death and consequent pollen abortion. WA352-induced sterility can be suppressed by two restorer-of-fertility (Rf) genes, suggesting the existence of different mechanisms to counteract deleterious cytoplasmic factors. Thus, CMS-related cytoplasmic-nuclear incompatibility is driven by a detrimental interaction between a newly evolved mitochondrial gene and a conserved, essential nuclear gene.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Dangping
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zhenlan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jingxin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Heying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Letian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ce
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Qunyu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chonghui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Huiqi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Yuanling
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Xiaoyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiucai
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Riqing
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yao-Guang
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D054629:Genome, Mitochondrial; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics*; D051479:Plant Infertility / Q000235:genetics*; D011058:Pollen / Q000235:genetics*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid