Characterization of Arabinogalactan-Proteins and a Related Oligosaccharide in Developing Rice Anthers

Abstract

Male sterility induced by chilling temperature (12–18°C) at the booting stage causes serious loss of grain yield in rice, one of the most serious problems for Asian agriculture. To resolve this problem, it is important to understand the physiological mechanisms of chilling injury during pollen development. Male gametogenesis is a very important step in plant reproduction and is known to be very sensitive to various forms of environmental stress, including chilling. Meiosis and mitosis are important events in gametogenesis, as are rapid turnovers of pollen walls that occur through interactions between microspores and tapetal cells. Although many anther-specific genes have been identified, the physiological or biochemical basis of male gametogenesis is not well understood. Thus, the physiological and biochemical characterization of these processes is essential for understanding agronomically important phenomena such as chilling injury in rice.