In higher plants the female germline is formed from the megaspore mother cell (MMC), a single cell in the pre-meiotic ovule. Previously, it was reported that mutants in RNA dependent DNA methylation - RdDM - pathway might be involved in restricting female germline to a single nucellus cell. We show that the DRM methyltransferase double mutant drm1drm2 also presents also presents ectopic enlarged cells, consistent with supernumerary MMC-like cells. In wild-type ovules MMC differentiation required SPOROCYTELESS/NOZZLE (SPL/NZZ), as demonstrated by the spl/nzz mutant failing to develop an MMC. We address the poorly understood upstream regulation of SPL/NZZ in ovules, showing that the RdDM pathway is important to restrict SPL/NZZ expression. In ago9, rdr6 and drm1drm2 mutants, SPL/NZZ is ectopically expressed, suggesting that the mutiple MMC-like cells observed might be due to the ectopic expression of SPL/NZZ. We show that the ovule identity gene SEEDSTICK, directly regulates the AGO9 and RDR6 expression in the ovule and therefore indirectly SPL/NZZ expression. A model is presented describing the network required to restrict SPL/NZZ expression to specify a single MMC.

The RNA dependent DNA methylation pathway is required to restrict SPOROCYTELESS/NOZZLE expression to specify a single female germ cell precursor in Arabidopsis / M.A. Mendes, R. Petrella, M. Cucinotta, E. Vignati, S. Gatti, S.C. Pinto, D.C. Bird, V. Gregis, H. Dickinson, M.R. Tucker, L. Colombo. - In: DEVELOPMENT. - ISSN 0950-1991. - dev.194274:(2020). [Epub ahead of print] [10.1242/dev.194274]

The RNA dependent DNA methylation pathway is required to restrict SPOROCYTELESS/NOZZLE expression to specify a single female germ cell precursor in Arabidopsis

M.A. Mendes
Primo
;
R. Petrella
Secondo
;
M. Cucinotta;S. Gatti;V. Gregis;L. Colombo
Ultimo
2020

Abstract

In higher plants the female germline is formed from the megaspore mother cell (MMC), a single cell in the pre-meiotic ovule. Previously, it was reported that mutants in RNA dependent DNA methylation - RdDM - pathway might be involved in restricting female germline to a single nucellus cell. We show that the DRM methyltransferase double mutant drm1drm2 also presents also presents ectopic enlarged cells, consistent with supernumerary MMC-like cells. In wild-type ovules MMC differentiation required SPOROCYTELESS/NOZZLE (SPL/NZZ), as demonstrated by the spl/nzz mutant failing to develop an MMC. We address the poorly understood upstream regulation of SPL/NZZ in ovules, showing that the RdDM pathway is important to restrict SPL/NZZ expression. In ago9, rdr6 and drm1drm2 mutants, SPL/NZZ is ectopically expressed, suggesting that the mutiple MMC-like cells observed might be due to the ectopic expression of SPL/NZZ. We show that the ovule identity gene SEEDSTICK, directly regulates the AGO9 and RDR6 expression in the ovule and therefore indirectly SPL/NZZ expression. A model is presented describing the network required to restrict SPL/NZZ expression to specify a single MMC.
Female Germline; MADS box; MMC; RdDM; SPOROCYTLESS; STK;
Settore BIO/01 - Botanica Generale
Settore BIO/11 - Biologia Molecolare
2020
6-nov-2020
Article (author)
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/794210
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