KOMPEITO, an atypical Arabidopsis Rhomboid-related gene, is required for callose accumulation and pollen wall development

Journal article

Fertilization is a key event for sexually reproducing plants. Pollen–stigma adhesion, which is the first step in male–female interaction during fertilization, requires proper pollen wall patterning. Callose, which is a β-1.3-glucan, is an essential polysaccharide that is required for pollen development and pollen wall formation. Mutations in CALLOSE SYNTHASE 5 (CalS5) disrupt male meiotic callose accumulation; however, how CalS5 activity and callose synthesis are regulated is not fully understood. In this paper, we report the isolation of a kompeito-1 (kom-1) mutant defective in pollen wall patterning and pollen–stigma adhesion in Arabidopsis thaliana. Callose was not accumulated in kom-1 meiocytes or microspores, which was very similar to the cals5 mutant. The KOM gene encoded a member of a subclass of Rhomboid serine protease proteins that lacked active site residues. KOM was localized to the Golgi apparatus, and both KOM and CalS5 genes were highly expressed in meiocytes. A 220 kDa CalS5 protein was detected in wild-type (Col-0) floral buds but was dramatically reduced in kom-1. These results suggested that KOM was required for CalS5 protein accumulation, leading to the regulation of meiocyte-specific callose accumulation and pollen wall formation.

Authors: Kanaoka, MM; Shimizu, KK; Xie, B; Urban, S; Freeman, M

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: MDPI
• Journal: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 11
• Article number: 5959
• Place of publication: Switzerland
• Publication date: 2022-05-25
• Acceptance date: 2022-05-20
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms23115959
• EISSN: 1422-0067
• ISSN: 1661-6596
• Pmid: 35682638
• Language: English
• Keywords: exine; callose; Arabidopsis; pollen development; meiosis; Rhomboid