title: A framework for evaluating developmental defects at the cellular level: An example from ten maize anther mutants using morphological and molecular data.
abstract: In seed plants, anthers are critical for sexual reproduction, because they foster both meiosis and subsequent pollen development of male germinal cells. Male-sterile mutants are analyzed to define steps in anther development. Historically the major topics in these studies are meiotic arrest and post-meiotic gametophyte failure, while relatively few studies focus on pre-meiotic defects of anther somatic cells. Utilizing morphometric analysis we demonstrate that pre-meiotic mutants can be impaired in anticlinal or periclinal cell division patterns and that final cell number in the pre-meiotic anther lobe is independent of cell number changes of individual differentiated somatic cell types. Data derived from microarrays and from cell wall NMR analyses allow us to further refine our understanding of the onset of phenotypes. Collectively the data highlight that even minor deviations from the correct spatiotemporal pattern of somatic cell proliferation can result in male sterility in Zea mays.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Stanford University, 365 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, United States. Electronic address: egger@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Rachel L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Egger
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Stanford University, 365 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, United States.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Walbot
mesh_terms: D002452:Cell Count; D002455:Cell Division; D019070:Cell Lineage; D035264:Flowers / Q000166:cytology*; D017343:Genes, Plant; D008540:Meiosis; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D019906:Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; D010641:Phenotype; D051479:Plant Infertility / Q000235:genetics*; D011058:Pollen; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D003313:Zea mays / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018749:RNA, Plant
keywords: Anther development; Male sterility; Periclinal division; Somatic cell fate