Studies of the anther transcriptome on non-model plants without a known genome are surprisingly scarce. RNA-Seq and digital gene expression (DGE) profiling provides a comprehensive approach to identify candidate genes contributing to developmental processes in non-model species. Here we built a transcriptome library of developing anthers of Hamelia patens and analyzed DGE profiles from each sta...

Synthesis of lipidic components in anthers, including of the pollen exine, is essential for plant male reproductive development. Plant lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) are small, abundant lipid-binding proteins that have the ability to exchange lipids between membranes in vitro. However, their biological role in male reproductive development remains less understood. Here, we report the crucial ro...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Anther appendages play diverse roles in anther dehiscence and pollen dispersal. This study aims to explore the pollen-dispensing mechanism triggered by special anther appendages in Incarvillea arguta. METHODS Field studies were conducted to record floral characteristics, pollinator visitations, and flower-pollinator interactions. Measurements of flowers and pollinators wer...

In male reproductive development in plants, meristemoid precursor cells possessing transient, stem cell-like features undergo cell divisions and differentiation to produce the anther, the male reproductive organ. The anther contains centrally positioned microsporocytes surrounded by four distinct layers of wall: the epidermis, endothecium, middle layer, and tapetum. Here, we report that the ric...

The trans-Golgi network (TGN) plays a central role in cellular secretion and has been implicated in sorting cargo destined for the plasma membrane. Previously, the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) echidna (ech) mutant was shown to exhibit a dwarf phenotype due to impaired cell expansion. However, ech also has a previously uncharacterized phenotype of reduced male fertility. This semisterility...

Spatial and temporal changes in the distribution of mRNA sequences during anther and pollen development in rice (Oryza sativa) were investigated by in situ hybridization with [3H]polyuridylic acid ([3H]poly(U)) and a cloned rice histone gene probe. Annealing of sections with [3H]poly(U) showed that poly(A)-containing RNA (poly(A)+RNA) was uniformly distributed in the cells of the anther primord...

TAZ1 (TAPETUM DEVELOPMENT ZINC FINGER PROTEIN1; renamed from PEThy; ZPT3-2) cDNA was first isolated as an anther-specific cDNA from petunia. Here, we report a functional characterization that includes analysis of spatial and temporal expression profiles and examination of anther phenotypes in TAZ1-silenced plants. TAZ1 showed a biphasic expression pattern. In the premeiotic phase, TAZ1 transcri...

Molecular markers were used for assessing genetic diversity in Finnish six-rowed barley and for mapping and tagging genes affecting traits important in barley breeding. Finnish six-rowed barley germplasm is narrow-based: twenty two released varieties are largely composed of only seven ancestors. The level of diversity in the RAPD markers has remained during barley breeding. Coancestry based on ...