Molecular movement in the Arabidopsis thaliana female gametophyte
Author(s)
Erdmann, Robert Michael; Hoffmann, Anja; Walter, Heidi-Kristin; Wagenknecht, Hans-Achim; Groß-Hardt, Rita; Gehring, Mary; ... Show more Show less
DownloadPublished version (3.187Mb)
Terms of use
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Cellular decisions can be influenced by information communicated from neighboring cells. Communication can occur via signaling or through the direct transfer of molecules. Movement of RNAs and proteins has frequently been observed among symplastically connected plant cells. In flowering plants, the female gametes, the egg cell and central cell, are closely apposed within the female gametophyte. Here we investigated the ability of fluorescently labeled dyes and small RNAs to move from the Arabidopsis thaliana central cell to the egg apparatus following microinjection. These results define a size limit of at least 20 kDa for symplastic movement between the two gametes, somewhat larger than that previously observed in Torenia fournieri. Our results indicate that symplastic connectivity in Arabidopsis thaliana changes after fertilization and suggest that prior to fertilization mechanisms are in place to facilitate small RNA movement from the central cell to the egg cell and synergids. Keywords: Female gametophyte; Central cell; Egg apparatus; Symplastic movement; Small RNAs; Arabidopsis thaliana.
Date issued
2017-07Department
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research; Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of BiologyJournal
Plant reproduction
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Citation
Erdmann, Robert M. et al. "Molecular movement in the Arabidopsis thaliana female gametophyte." Plant reproduction 30, 3 (September 2017): 141–146 © 2017, The Author(s).
Version: Final published version
ISSN
2194-7953
2194-7961