title: MYB97, MYB101 and MYB120 function as male factors that control pollen tube-synergid interaction in Arabidopsis thaliana fertilization.
abstract: Pollen tube reception involves a pollen tube-synergid interaction that controls the discharge of sperm cells into the embryo sac during plant fertilization. Despite its importance in the sexual reproduction of plants, little is known about the role of gene regulation in this process. We report here that the pollen-expressed transcription factors MYB97, MYB101 and MYB120 probably control genes whose encoded proteins play important roles in Arabidopsis thaliana pollen tube reception. They share a high amino acid sequence identity and are expressed mainly in mature pollen grains and pollen tubes. None of the single or double mutants of these three genes exhibited any visible defective phenotype. Although the myb97 myb101 myb120 triple mutant was not defective in pollen development, pollen germination, pollen tube growth or tube guidance, the pollen tubes of the triple mutants exhibited uncontrolled growth and failed to discharge their sperm cells after entering the embryo sac. In addition, the myb97 myb101 myb120 triple mutation significantly affected the expression of a group of pollen-expressed genes in mature pollen grains. All these results indicate that MYB97, MYB101 and MYB120 participate in pollen tube reception, possibly by controlling the expression of downstream genes.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Ze-Min
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Qian-Kun
authors.initials: QK
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: Jing-Jing
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Li-Qun
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xue-Qin
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: De
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ye
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005306:Fertilization / Q000235:genetics*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D053205:Pollen Tube / Q000235:genetics; D012098:Reproduction / Q000235:genetics*; D012639:Seeds / Q000254:growth & development; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; C588280:MYB97 protein, Arabidopsis; D014157:Transcription Factors