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Characterization of a novel glycine-rich protein from the cell wall of maize silk tissues

  • Physiology and Biochemistry
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Abstract

The isolation, characterization and regulation of expression of a maize silk-specific gene is described. zmgrp5 (Zea mays glycine-rich protein 5) encodes a 187 amino acid glycine-rich protein that displays developmentally regulated silk-specific expression. Northern, Western, in situ mRNA hybridization and transient gene expression analyses indicate that zmgrp5 is expressed in silk hair and in cells of the vascular bundle and pollen tube transmitting tissue elements. The protein is secreted into the extracellular matrix and is localized in the cell wall fraction mainly through interactions mediated by covalent disulphide bridges. Taken together, these results suggest that the protein may play a role in maintaining silk structure during development. This is the first documented isolation of a stigma-specific gene from maize, an important agronomic member of the Poaceae family.

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Acknowledgements

Parts of the research presented here is in partial fulfillment of the degree of M.Sc. by T.T. We thank Dr. John Simmonds, ECORC, for his assistance with maize tissues bombardment; Dr. Lana Reid, ECORC, for providing maize inbred seeds; Leslie Cass for providing details on pLCZ-prom and Drs. S. O’Leary and J. Schernthaner for critically reading the manuscript. This research was supported in part by the Ontario Corn Consortium, which includes the Ontario Corn Producers’ Association, Canadian Adaptation Council, Ontario Research Enhancement Program, Pioneer Hi-Bred Ltd., Syngenta Seeds Canada Inc., Ontario Pork Producers’ Marketing Board, Fédération des Producteurs de Cultures Commerciales du Québec and AAFC Matching Investment Initiative (ECORC contribution no. 05-596).

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Correspondence to J. Singh.

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Communicated by J. Zou

Data deposition: The sequences reported in this paper have been deposited in the GenBank database (accessions nos. AY095207, AY095208 and AAM16282.1).

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Tao, T.Y., Ouellet, T., Dadej, K. et al. Characterization of a novel glycine-rich protein from the cell wall of maize silk tissues. Plant Cell Rep 25, 848–858 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-006-0128-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-006-0128-3

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