title: Transcriptional Framework of Male Gametogenesis in the Liverwort Marchantia polymorpha L.
abstract: In land plants, there are two types of male gametes: one is a non-motile sperm cell which is delivered to the egg cell by a pollen tube, and the other is a motile sperm cell with flagella. The molecular mechanism underlying the sexual reproduction with the egg and pollen-delivered sperm cell is well understood from studies using model plants such as Arabidopsis and rice. On the other hand, the sexual reproduction with motile sperm has remained poorly characterized, due to the lack of suitable models. Marchantia polymorpha L. is a model basal land plant with sexual reproduction involving an egg cell and bi-flagellated motile sperm. To understand the differentiation process of plant motile sperm, we analyzed the gene expression profile of developing antheridia of M. polymorpha. We performed RNA-sequencing experiments and compared transcript profiles of the male sexual organ (antheridiophore and antheridium contained therein), female sexual organ (archegoniophore) and a vegetative organ (thallus). Transcriptome analysis showed that the antheridium expresses nearly half of the protein-coding genes predicted in the genome, but it also has unique features. The antheridium transcriptome shares some common features with male gamete transcriptomes of angiosperms and animals, and homologs of genes involved in male gamete formation and function in angiosperms and animals were identified. In addition, we showed that some of them had distinct expression patterns in the spermatogenous tissue of developing antheridia. This study provides a transcriptional framework on which to study the molecular mechanism of plant motile sperm development in M. polymorpha as a model.
authors: Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501 Japan.
authors: Asuka
authors: A
authors: Higo
authors: Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501 Japan.
authors: Masaki
authors: M
authors: Niwa
authors: Faculty of Biology-Oriented Science and Technology, Kinki University, Kinokawa, 649-6493 Japan.
authors: Katsuyuki T
authors: KT
authors: Yamato
authors: Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Toba, 517-0004 Japan.
authors: Lixy
authors: L
authors: Yamada
authors: Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Toba, 517-0004 Japan.
authors: Hitoshi
authors: H
authors: Sawada
authors: Plant Global Education Project, Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, 630-0192 Japan Present address: Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kyoto, 603-8555 Japan.
authors: Tomoaki
authors: T
authors: Sakamoto
authors: Plant Global Education Project, Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, 630-0192 Japan Present address: Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578 Japan.
authors: Tetsuya
authors: T
authors: Kurata
authors: Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501 Japan Present address: Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada V6T 1Z4.
authors: Makoto
authors: M
authors: Shirakawa
authors: Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501 Japan.
authors: Motomu
authors: M
authors: Endo
authors: National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, 444-8585 Japan.
authors: Shuji
authors: S
authors: Shigenobu
authors: National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, 444-8585 Japan.
authors: Katsushi
authors: K
authors: Yamaguchi
authors: Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe, 657-8501 Japan.
authors: Kimitsune
authors: K
authors: Ishizaki
authors: Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501 Japan.
authors: Ryuichi
authors: R
authors: Nishihama
authors: Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501 Japan.
authors: Takayuki
authors: T
authors: Kohchi
authors: Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8501 Japan taraqui@lif.kyoto-u.ac.jp.
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Araki
mesh_terms: D032461:Chromosomes, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D056130:Gametogenesis, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D047008:Marchantia / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016366:Open Reading Frames / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D006657:Histones; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: Gametogenesis; Male gamete; Marchantia; Sexual reproduction; Sperm cell; Transcriptome