DEX1, a plasma membrane-localized protein, functions in microspore development by affecting CalS5 expression in Arabidopsis thaliana

Abstract

Microsporogenesis in flowering plants plays important roles in sexual reproduction. It has been reported that DEFECTIVE IN EXINE FORMATION1 (DEX1) is essential for exine pattern formation in Arabidopsis thaliana. However, the functions of DEX1 in regulating microspore development are largely not understood. In this study, we show that DEX1 is strongly expressed in the tapetum by using RNA in situ hybridization. dex1 microspores were degenerated and aborted after release from the tetrads. The callose wall in tetrads was thinner in the dex1 mutant than in the wild type, suggesting that DEX1 affects callose formation at the tetrad stage during anther development. RT-PCR and real-time PCR analyses showed that CalS5, which plays an important role in callose synthesis during microspore development, was greatly down-regulated in dex1 plants. DEX1 encodes a membrane protein with one transmembrane domain, one intracellular domain and one extracellular domain. Collectively, our results demonstrate that DEX1 is essential for microspore development, possibly by regulating the expression of CalS5. © 2013 The Author(s).