The maize (Zea mays) late pollen gene ZmMADS2 belongs to the MIKC type of MADS box transcription factor genes. Here, we report that ZmMADS2, which forms a homodimer in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), is required for anther dehiscence and pollen maturation. Development of anthers and pollen was arrested at 1 d before dehiscence in transgenic plants expressing the ZmMADS2-cDNA in antisense orie...

The high sensitivity of male reproductive cells to high temperatures may be due to an inadequate heat stress response. The results of a comprehensive expression analysis of HsfA2 and Hsp17-CII, two important members of the heat stress system, in the developing anthers of a heat-tolerant tomato genotype are reported here. A transcriptional analysis at different developmental anther/pollen stages...

The sporogenesis and development of gametophytes in Tetracentron sinense Oliv. were studied with light microscopy. The anther has four microsporangia; its primary anther wall consists of an epidermis, an endothecium, one or two middle layers and one glandular tapetum. Simultaneous cytokinesis follows meiosis, forming a tetrahedral tetrad. Mature pollen grains are two-celled at the time of anthe...

OsSPX1, a rice SPX domain gene, involved in the phosphate (Pi)-sensing mechanism plays an essential role in the Pi-signalling network through interaction with OsPHR2. In this study, we focused on the potential function of OsSPX1 during rice reproductive phase. Based on investigation of OsSPX1 antisense and sense transgenic rice lines in the paddy fields, we discovered that the down-regulation o...

In higher plants, male reproductive development is a complex biological process that includes cell division and differentiation, cell to cell communication etc., while the mechanism underlying plant male reproductive development remains less understood. GAMYB encodes a gibberellins acid (GA) inducible transcription factor that is required for the early anther development in rice (Oryza sativa L...

The Arabidopsis thaliana ABORTED MICROSPORES (AMS) gene encodes a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor that is required for tapetal cell development and postmeiotic microspore formation. However, the regulatory role of AMS in anther and pollen development has not been fully defined. Here, we show by microarray analysis that the expression of 549 anther-expressed genes was altered ...

Compared to the diversity of other floral organs, the steps in anther ontogeny, final cell types, and overall organ shape are remarkably conserved among Angiosperms. Defects in pre-meiotic anthers that alter cellular composition or function typically result in male-sterility. Given the ease of identifying male-sterile mutants, dozens of genes with key roles in early anther development have been...

Among the >200 members of the leucine-rich repeat receptor kinase family in Arabidopsis thaliana, only a few have been functionally characterized. Here, we report a critical function in anther development for the SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS RECEPTOR KINASE1 (SERK1) and SERK2 genes. Both SERK1 and SERK2 are expressed widely in locules until stage 6 anthers and are more concentrated in the tapetal cell...

Floret development is critical for grain setting in wheat (Triticum aestivum), but more than 50% of grain yield potential (based on the maximum number of floret primordia) is lost during the stem elongation phase (SEP, from the terminal spikelet stage to anthesis). Dynamic plant (e.g., leaf area, plant height) and floret (e.g., anther and ovary size) growth and its connection with grain yield t...