title: Differential expression patterns of arabinogalactan proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana reproductive tissues.
abstract: Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) are heavily glycosylated proteins existing in all members of the plant kingdom and are differentially distributed through distinctive developmental stages. Here, we showed the individual distributions of specific Arabidopsis AGPs: AGP1, AGP9, AGP12, AGP15, and AGP23, throughout reproductive tissues and indicated their possible roles in several reproductive processes. AGP genes specifically expressed in female tissues were identified using available microarray data. This selection was confirmed by promoter analysis using multiple green fluorescent protein fusions to a nuclear localization signal, β-glucuronidase fusions, and in situ hybridization as approaches to confirm the expression patterns of the AGPs. Promoter analysis allowed the detection of a specific and differential presence of these proteins along the pathway followed by the pollen tube during its journey to reach the egg and the central cell inside the embryo sac. AGP1 was expressed in the stigma, style, transmitting tract, and the chalazal and funiculus tissues of the ovules. AGP9 was present along the vasculature of the reproductive tissues and AGP12 was expressed in the stigmatic cells, chalazal and funiculus cells of the ovules, and in the septum. AGP15 was expressed in all pistil tissues, except in the transmitting tract, while AGP23 was specific to the pollen grain and pollen tube. The expression pattern of these AGPs provides new evidence for the detection of a subset of specific AGPs involved in plant reproductive processes, being of significance for this field of study. AGPs are prominent candidates for male-female communication during reproduction.
authors: Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal Center for Biodiversity, Functional & Integrative Genomics (BioFIG), Porto, Portugal Dipartimento di BioScienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors: Ana Marta
authors: AM
authors: Pereira
authors: Dipartimento di BioScienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors: Simona
authors: S
authors: Masiero
authors: Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
authors: Margarida Sofia
authors: MS
authors: Nobre
authors: Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal Center for Biodiversity, Functional & Integrative Genomics (BioFIG), Porto, Portugal.
authors: Mário Luís
authors: ML
authors: Costa
authors: Pollen Biotechnology of Crop Plants Group, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB) CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors: María-Teresa
authors: MT
authors: Solís
authors: Pollen Biotechnology of Crop Plants Group, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB) CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors: Pilar S
authors: PS
authors: Testillano
authors: Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, Biochemie-Zentrum Regensburg, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
authors: Stefanie
authors: S
authors: Sprunck
authors: Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal Center for Biodiversity, Functional & Integrative Genomics (BioFIG), Porto, Portugal scoimbra@fc.up.pt.
authors: Sílvia
authors: S
authors: Coimbra
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D035264:Flowers / Q000378:metabolism*; D009088:Mucoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053205:Pollen Tube / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D009088:Mucoproteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; C006619:arabinogalactan proteins
keywords: Arabinogalactan proteins; female gametophyte; funiculus; pistil; pollen tube guidance; transmitting tract.