title: Rice No Pollen 1 (NP1) is required for anther cuticle formation and pollen exine patterning.
abstract: Angiosperm male reproductive organs (anthers and pollen grains) have complex and interesting morphological features, but mechanisms that underlie their patterning are poorly understood. Here we report the isolation and characterization of a male sterile mutant of No Pollen 1 (NP1) in rice (Oryza sativa). The np1-4 mutant exhibited smaller anthers with a smooth cuticle surface, abnormal Ubisch bodies, and aborted pollen grains covered with irregular exine. Wild-type exine has two continuous layers; but np1-4 exine showed a discontinuous structure with large granules of varying size. Chemical analysis revealed reduction in most of the cutin monomers in np1-4 anthers, and less cuticular wax. Map-based cloning suggested that NP1 encodes a putative glucose-methanol-choline oxidoreductase; and expression analyses found NP1 preferentially expressed in the tapetal layer from stage 8 to stage 10 of anther development. Additionally, the expression of several genes involved in biosynthesis and in the transport of lipid monomers of sporopollenin and cutin was decreased in np1-4 mutant anthers. Taken together, these observations suggest that NP1 is required for anther cuticle formation, and for patterning of Ubisch bodies and the exine. We propose that products of NP1 are likely important metabolites in the development of Ubisch bodies and pollen exine, necessary for polymerization, assembly, or both.
authors.affiliation: Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Shanghai Jiao Tong University-University of Adelaide Joint Centre for Agriculture and Health, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors.forename: Ze
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Shanghai Jiao Tong University-University of Adelaide Joint Centre for Agriculture and Health, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors.forename: Sen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Shanghai Jiao Tong University-University of Adelaide Joint Centre for Agriculture and Health, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors.forename: Jianxin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Shanghai Jiao Tong University-University of Adelaide Joint Centre for Agriculture and Health, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Shanghai Jiao Tong University-University of Adelaide Joint Centre for Agriculture and Health, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, South Australia, 5064, Australia.
authors.forename: Xiujuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Shanghai Jiao Tong University-University of Adelaide Joint Centre for Agriculture and Health, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.|School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, South Australia, 5064, Australia.
authors.forename: Dabing
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Shanghai Jiao Tong University-University of Adelaide Joint Centre for Agriculture and Health, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
authors.forename: Wanqi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D001704:Biopolymers / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D035264:Flowers / Q000502:physiology*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000235:genetics; D008540:Meiosis; D009154:Mutation; D012275:Oryza / Q000502:physiology*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011058:Pollen / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers; D010940:Plant Proteins; C009800:sporopollenin; D002338:Carotenoids
keywords: anther; glucose-methanol-choline oxidoreductase; pollen exine; rice; sporopollenin