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An F-box gene linked to the self-incompatibility (S) locus of Antirrhinum is expressed specifically in pollen and tapetum

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Abstract

In many flowering plants, self-fertilization is prevented by an intraspecific reproductive barrier known as self-incompatibility (SI), that, in most cases, is controlled by a single multiallelic S locus. So far, the only known S locus product in self-incompatible species from the Solanaceae, Scrophulariaceae and Rosaceae is a class of ribonucleases called S RNases. Molecular and transgenic analyses have shown that S RNases are responsible for pollen rejection by the pistil but have no role in pollen expression of SI, which appears to be mediated by a gene called the pollen self-incompatibility or Sp gene. To identify possible candidates for this gene, we investigated the genomic structure of the S locus in Antirrhinum, a member of the Scrophulariaceae. A novel F-box gene, AhSLF-S 2, encoded by the S 2 allele, with the expected features of the Sp gene was identified. AhSLF-S 2 is located 9 kb downstream of S 2 RNase gene and encodes a polypeptide of 376 amino acids with a conserved F-box domain in its amino-terminal part. Hypothetical genes homologous to AhSLF-S 2 are apparent in the sequenced genomic DNA of Arabidopsis and rice. Together, they define a large gene family, named SLF (S locus F-box) family. AhSLF-S 2 is highly polymorphic and is specifically expressed in tapetum, microspores and pollen grains in an allele-specific manner. The possibility that Sp encodes an F-box protein and the implications of this for the operation of self-incompatibility are discussed.

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  1. Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Beijing, 100080, China

    Zhao Lai, Wenshi Ma, Lizhi Liang, Yansheng Zhang & Yongbiao Xue

  2. National Center for Gene Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200233, China

    Bin Han & Guofan Hong

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  1. Zhao Lai
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Lai, Z., Ma, W., Han, B. et al. An F-box gene linked to the self-incompatibility (S) locus of Antirrhinum is expressed specifically in pollen and tapetum. Plant Mol Biol 50, 29–41 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016050018779

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