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Expression of Clementine Asp-Rich Proteins (CcASP-RICH) in Tobacco Plants Interferes with the Mechanism of Pollen Tube Growth.

Luigi ParrottaLavinia MareriIris AloisiClaudia FaleriGaetano DistefanoAlessandra GentileAngela Roberta Lo PieroVerena KriechbaumerMarco CarusoGiampiero CaiStefano Del Duca
Published in: International journal of molecular sciences (2022)
Low-molecular-weight, aspartic-acid-rich proteins (ASP-RICH) have been assumed to be involved in the self-incompatibility process of clementine. The role of ASP-RICH is not known, but hypothetically they could sequester calcium ions (Ca 2+ ) and affect Ca 2+ -dependent mechanisms. In this article, we analyzed the effects induced by clementine ASP-RICH proteins (CcASP-RICH) when expressed in the tobacco heterologous system, focusing on the male gametophyte. The aim was to gain insight into the mechanism of action of ASP-RICH in a well-known cellular system, i.e., the pollen tube. Pollen tubes of tobacco transgenic lines expressing CcASP-RICH were analyzed for Ca 2+ distribution, ROS, proton gradient, as well as cytoskeleton and cell wall. CcASP-RICH modulated Ca 2+ content and consequently affected cytoskeleton organization and the deposition of cell wall components. In turn, this affected the growth pattern of pollen tubes. Although the expression of CcASP-RICH did not exert a remarkable effect on the growth rate of pollen tubes, effects at the level of growth pattern suggest that the expression of ASP-RICH may exert a regulatory action on the mechanism of plant cell growth.
Keyphrases
  • cell wall
  • poor prognosis
  • cell death
  • transcription factor
  • reactive oxygen species
  • saccharomyces cerevisiae