Localized delivery of plasma-membrane and cell-wall components is a crucial process for plant cell growth. One of the regulators of secretory-vesicle targeting is the exocyst tethering complex. The exocyst mediates first interaction between transport vesicles and the target membrane before their fusion is performed by SNARE proteins. In land plants, genes encoding the EXO70 exocyst subunit underwent an extreme proliferation with 23 paralogs present in the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) genome. These paralogs often acquired specialized functions during evolution. Here, we analyzed functional divergence of selected EXO70 paralogs in Arabidopsis. Performing a systematic cross-complementation analysis of exo70a1 and exo70b1 mutants, we found that EXO70A1 was functionally substituted only by its closest paralog, EXO70A2. In contrast, none of the EXO70 isoforms tested were able to substitute EXO70B1, including its closest relative, EXO70B2, pointing to a unique function of this isoform. The presented results document a high degree of functional specialization within the EXO70 gene family in land plants.

• Klíčová slova
• Arabidopsis, EXO70, EXO70A1, EXO70B1, exocyst complex, polar exocytosis,
• MeSH
• Arabidopsis genetika   růst a vývoj   metabolismus   MeSH
• buněčná membrána metabolismus   MeSH
• exocytóza MeSH
• proteiny huseníčku genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• regulace genové exprese u rostlin MeSH
• transportní vezikuly metabolismus   MeSH
• vezikulární transportní proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• proteiny huseníčku MeSH
• vezikulární transportní proteiny MeSH

Pollen development, pollen grain germination, and pollen tube elongation are crucial biological processes in angiosperm plants that need precise regulation to deliver sperm cells to ovules for fertilization. Highly polarized secretion at a growing pollen tube tip requires the exocyst tethering complex responsible for specific targeting of secretory vesicles to the plasma membrane. Here, we demonstrate that Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) EXO70A2 (At5g52340) is the main exocyst EXO70 isoform in the male gametophyte, governing the conventional secretory function of the exocyst, analogous to EXO70A1 (At5g03540) in the sporophyte. Our analysis of a CRISPR-generated exo70a2 mutant revealed that EXO70A2 is essential for efficient pollen maturation, pollen grain germination, and pollen tube growth. GFP:EXO70A2 was localized to the nucleus and cytoplasm in developing pollen grains and later to the apical domain in growing pollen tube tips characterized by intensive exocytosis. Moreover, EXO70A2 could substitute for EXO70A1 function in the sporophyte, but not vice versa, indicating partial functional redundancy of these two closely related isoforms and higher specificity of EXO70A2 for pollen development-related processes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the ancient duplication of EXO70A, one of which is always highly expressed in pollen, occurred independently in monocots and dicots. In summary, EXO70A2 is a crucial component of the exocyst complex in Arabidopsis pollen that is required for efficient plant sexual reproduction.

• MeSH
• Arabidopsis genetika   růst a vývoj   MeSH
• exocytóza genetika   fyziologie   MeSH
• fylogeneze MeSH
• genetická variace MeSH
• genotyp MeSH
• pylová láčka genetika   růst a vývoj   MeSH
• regulace genové exprese u rostlin MeSH
• rostlinné geny MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• srovnávací studie MeSH

The exocyst, a eukaryotic tethering complex, coregulates targeted exocytosis as an effector of small GTPases in polarized cell growth. In land plants, several exocyst subunits are encoded by double or triple paralogs, culminating in tens of EXO70 paralogs. Out of 23 Arabidopsis thaliana EXO70 isoforms, we analyzed seven isoforms expressed in pollen. Genetic and microscopic analyses of single mutants in EXO70A2, EXO70C1, EXO70C2, EXO70F1, EXO70H3, EXO70H5, and EXO70H6 genes revealed that only a loss-of-function EXO70C2 allele resulted in a significant male-specific transmission defect (segregation 40%:51%:9%) due to aberrant pollen tube growth. Mutant pollen tubes grown in vitro exhibited an enhanced growth rate and a decreased thickness of the tip cell wall, causing tip bursts. However, exo70C2 pollen tubes could frequently recover and restart their speedy elongation, resulting in a repetitive stop-and-go growth dynamics. A pollen-specific depletion of the closest paralog, EXO70C1, using artificial microRNA in the exo70C2 mutant background, resulted in a complete pollen-specific transmission defect, suggesting redundant functions of EXO70C1 and EXO70C2. Both EXO70C1 and EXO70C2, GFP tagged and expressed under the control of their native promoters, localized in the cytoplasm of pollen grains, pollen tubes, and also root trichoblast cells. The expression of EXO70C2-GFP complemented the aberrant growth of exo70C2 pollen tubes. The absent EXO70C2 interactions with core exocyst subunits in the yeast two-hybrid assay, cytoplasmic localization, and genetic effect suggest an unconventional EXO70 function possibly as a regulator of exocytosis outside the exocyst complex. In conclusion, EXO70C2 is a novel factor contributing to the regulation of optimal tip growth of Arabidopsis pollen tubes.

• MeSH
• Arabidopsis genetika   růst a vývoj   metabolismus   MeSH
• geneticky modifikované rostliny MeSH
• konfokální mikroskopie MeSH
• kořeny rostlin genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• mutace MeSH
• protein - isoformy genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• proteiny huseníčku genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• pyl genetika   růst a vývoj   metabolismus   MeSH
• pylová láčka genetika   růst a vývoj   metabolismus   MeSH
• regulace genové exprese u rostlin * MeSH
• vezikulární transportní proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• vývojová regulace genové exprese * MeSH
• zelené fluorescenční proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• EXO70C2 protein, Arabidopsis MeSH Prohlížeč
• protein - isoformy MeSH
• proteiny huseníčku MeSH
• vezikulární transportní proteiny MeSH
• zelené fluorescenční proteiny MeSH

Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaf trichomes are single-cell structures with a well-studied development, but little is understood about their function. Developmental studies focused mainly on the early shaping stages, and little attention has been paid to the maturation stage. We focused on the EXO70H4 exocyst subunit, one of the most up-regulated genes in the mature trichome. We uncovered EXO70H4-dependent development of the secondary cell wall layer, highly autofluorescent and callose rich, deposited only in the upper part of the trichome. The boundary is formed between the apical and the basal parts of mature trichome by a callose ring that is also deposited in an EXO70H4-dependent manner. We call this structure the Ortmannian ring (OR). Both the secondary cell wall layer and the OR are absent in the exo70H4 mutants. Ecophysiological aspects of the trichome cell wall thickening include interference with antiherbivore defense and heavy metal accumulation. Ultraviolet B light induces EXO70H4 transcription in a CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC1-dependent way, resulting in stimulation of trichome cell wall thickening and the OR biogenesis. EXO70H4-dependent trichome cell wall hardening is a unique phenomenon, which may be conserved among a variety of the land plants. Our analyses support a concept that Arabidopsis trichome is an excellent model to study molecular mechanisms of secondary cell wall deposition.

• MeSH
• Arabidopsis metabolismus   účinky záření   ultrastruktura   MeSH
• buněčná stěna metabolismus   ultrastruktura   MeSH
• cytokineze účinky záření   MeSH
• fluorescence MeSH
• glukany metabolismus   MeSH
• měď metabolismus   MeSH
• mutace genetika   MeSH
• podjednotky proteinů metabolismus   MeSH
• proteiny huseníčku metabolismus   MeSH
• trichomy metabolismus   účinky záření   ultrastruktura   MeSH
• ultrafialové záření MeSH
• vezikulární transportní proteiny metabolismus   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• callose MeSH Prohlížeč
• EXO70H4 protein, Arabidopsis MeSH Prohlížeč
• glukany MeSH
• měď MeSH
• podjednotky proteinů MeSH
• proteiny huseníčku MeSH
• vezikulární transportní proteiny MeSH