AUTHOR=Li Dan-Dan , Xue Jing-Shi , Zhu Jun , Yang Zhong-Nan 

TITLE=Gene Regulatory Network for Tapetum Development in Arabidopsis thaliana

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2017.01559

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2017.01559

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>In flowering plants, male gametophyte development occurs in the anther. Tapetum, the innermost of the four anther somatic layers, surrounds the developing reproductive cells to provide materials for pollen development. A genetic pathway of <italic>DYT1</italic>-<italic>TDF1</italic>-<italic>AMS</italic>-<italic>MS188</italic> in regulating tapetum development has been proven. Here we used laser microdissection and pressure catapulting to capture and analyze the transcriptome data for the <italic>Arabidopsis</italic> tapetum at two stages. With a comprehensive analysis by the microarray data of <italic>dyt1</italic>, <italic>tdf1</italic>, <italic>ams</italic>, and <italic>ms188</italic> mutants, we identified possible downstream genes for each transcription factor. These transcription factors regulate many biological processes in addition to activating the expression of the other transcription factor. Briefly, <italic>DYT1</italic> may also regulate early tapetum development via E3 ubiquitin ligases and many other transcription factors. <italic>TDF1</italic> is likely involved in redox and cell degradation. <italic>AMS</italic> probably regulates lipid transfer proteins, which are involved in pollen wall formation, and other E3 ubiquitin ligases, functioning in degradating proteins produced in previous processes. <italic>MS188</italic> is responsible for most cell wall-related genes, functioning both in tapetum cell wall degradation and pollen wall formation. These results propose a more complex gene regulatory network for tapetum development and function.</p>