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Abstract
Many angiosperms use specific interactions between pollen and pistil proteins as "self" recognition and/or rejection mechanisms to prevent self-fertilization. Self-incompatibility (SI) is encoded by a multiallelic S locus, comprising pollen and pistil S-determinants [1, 2]. In Papaver rhoeas, cognate pistil and pollen S-determinants, PrpS, a pollen-expressed transmembrane protein, and PrsS, a pistil-expressed secreted protein [3, 4], interact to trigger a Ca(2+)-dependent signaling network [5-10], resulting in inhibition of pollen tube growth, cytoskeletal alterations [11-13], and programmed cell death (PCD) [14, 15] in incompatible pollen. We introduced the PrpS gene into Arabidopsis thaliana, a self-compatible model plant. Exposing transgenic A. thaliana pollen to recombinant Papaver PrsS protein triggered remarkably similar responses to those observed in incompatible Papaver pollen: S-specific inhibition and hallmark features of Papaver SI [11-15]. Our findings demonstrate that Papaver PrpS is functional in a species with no SI system that diverged ∼140 million years ago [16]. This suggests that the Papaver SI system uses cellular targets that are, perhaps, common to all eudicots and that endogenous signaling components can be recruited to elicit a response that most likely never operated in this species. This will be of interest to biologists interested in the evolution of signaling networks in higher plants.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 154-159 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Current Biology |
Volume | 22 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2012 |
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Dive into the research topics of 'The Papaver Self-Incompatibility Pollen S-Determinant, PrpS, Functions in Arabidopsis thaliana'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
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Self-Incompatibility in Papaver Rhoeas: Functional Characterisation of the Pollen S-Linked Gene STM1
Franklin, C. & Franklin-Tong, N.
Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council
1/03/05 → 30/06/08
Project: Research Councils