Arabidopsis thaliana GLUC pistils transcriptome
In Arabidopsis thaliana, the female germline differentiates from a single somatic ovule cell that becomes encased in b-1,3-glucan, a water insoluble polysaccharide. Whether b-1,3-glucan facilitates germline isolation and development remains contentious, since limited evidence is available to support a functional role. Transcriptional profiling of protoplasts of adjoining germline and somatic cells of the A. thaliana ovule revealed differences in gene expression related to b-1,3-glucan metabolism and signalling. In paralel, dominant expression of a b-1,3-glucanase in the female germline led to termination of its development. Transcriptomic characterization of lines ectopically expressing the b-1,3-glucanase protein was conducted to understand the molecular impact of altered b-1,3-glucan accumulation for germline development.