The 7B-1 tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv Rutgers) is a male-sterile mutant with enhanced tolerance to abiotic stress, which makes it a potential candidate for hybrid seed breeding and stress engineering. To underline the molecular mechanism regulating the male-sterility in 7B-1, transcriptomic profiles of the 7B-1 male-sterile and wild type (WT) anthers were studied using mRNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). In total, 768 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, including 132 up-regulated and 636 down-regulated transcripts. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis of DEGs suggested a general impact of the 7B-1 mutation on metabolic processes, such as proteolysis and carbohydrate catabolic process. Sixteen candidates with key roles in regulation of anther development were subjected to further analysis using qRT-PCR and in situ hybridization. Cytological studies showed several defects associated with anther development in the 7B-1 mutant, including unsynchronized anther maturation, dysfunctional meiosis, arrested microspores, defect in callose degradation and abnormal tapetum development. TUNEL assay showed a defect in programmed cell death (PCD) of tapetal cells in 7B-1 anthers. The present study provides insights into the transcriptome of the 7B-1 mutant. We identified several genes with altered expression level in 7B-1 (including beta-1,3 glucanase, GA2oxs, cystatin, cysteine protease, pectinesterase, TA29, and actin) that could potentially regulate anther developmental processes, such as meiosis, tapetum development, and cell-wall formation/degradation.

Boyce Thompson Institute Cornell University Ithaca NY United States of America

Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences University of Tuscia Viterbo Italy

Department of Botany Faculty of Science Palacký University in Olomouc Šlechtitelů 27 Olomouc Holice Czech Republic

Laboratory of Growth Regulators Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research Palacký University and Institute of Experimental Botany AS CR Šlechtitelů 27 Olomouc Holice Czech Republic

School of Biological Sciences University of East Anglia Norwich United Kingdom

School of Computing Sciences University of East Anglia Norwich United Kingdom

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Advances in plant male sterility for hybrid seed production: an overview of conditional nuclear male sterile lines and biotechnology-based male sterile systems