Summary
To determine whether phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (EC 4.3.1.5) is involved in the maturation of microspores to fertile pollen, anthers of a fertile strain of broccoli (Brassica oleracea L.) were studied in a comparison with anthers of a cytoplasmic male sterile strain. In the normal fertile strain, immature anthers of about 2 mm in length exhibited higher phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity than mature anthers or those shorter than 2 mm. The 2-mm-long anthers corresponded to the mononucleate stage, just after release of the microspores during pollen development. Immunohistochemical localization of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase in the anthers indicated that the protein was present predominantly in the tapetal cells. The immature anthers of cytoplasmic male sterile broccoli had a lower phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity than those of the normal fertile strain. The level of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity in the immature anthers was positively correlated with the number of fertile pollen grains at the flowering stage in both strains. It seems possible, therefore, that phenylpropanoid metabolism, which involves phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, may play an important role in the maturation of microspores in flowering plants.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Abbreviations
- CHS:
-
chalcone synthase
- CMS:
-
cytoplasmic male sterility
- DAPI:
-
4′, 6-diamidmo-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride
- PAL:
-
L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase
References
Amrhein N, Godeke K-H, Kefeli VI (1976) The estimation of relative intracellular phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activities and the modulation in vivo and in vitro by competitive inhibitors. Ber Deutsch Bot Ges 89S:247–259
Bartkowiak-Broda I, Rousselle P, Renard M (1979) Investigations of two kinds of cytoplasmic male sterility in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.). Genet Pol 20:487–497
Beerhues L, Forkmann G, Schopker H, Stolz G, Wiermann R (1989) Flavanone 3-hydroxylase and dihydroflavonol oxygenase activities in anthers of Tulipa. The significance of the tapetum fraction in flavonoid metabolism. J Plant Physiol 133:743–746
Chapman GP (1987) The tapetum. Int Rev Cytol 107:111–125
Coe EH, McCormick SM, Modena SA (1981) White pollen in maize J Hered 72:318–320
Elkind Y, Edwards R, Mavandad M, Hedrick SA, Ribak O, Dixon RA, Lamb CJ (1990) Abnormal plant development and downregulation of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in transgenic tobacco containing a heterologous phenylalanine ammonia-lyase gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 87:9057–9061
Grant I, Beversdorf WD (1986) A comparative light and electron microscopic study of microspore and tapetal development in male fertile and cytoplasmic male sterile oilseed rape (Brassica napus). Can J Bot 64:1055–1068
Hinata K, Konno N (1975) Number of pollen grains in Brassica and allied genera. Tohoku J Agr Res 26:117–124
Hinata K, Konno N (1979) Studies on a male sterile strain having the Brassica campestris nucleus and the Diplotaxis muralis cytoplasm. 1. On the breeding procedure and some characteristics of the male sterile strain. Jpn J Breed 29:305–311
Hoagland RE, Duke SO (1982) Effects of glyphosate on metabolism of phenolic compounds. VIII. Comparison of the effects of aminooxyacetate and glyphosate. Plant Cell Physiol 23:1081–1088
Jones DH (1984) Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase: regulation of its induction, and its role in plant development. Phytochemistry 23:1349–1359
Kaul MLH (1988) Male sterility in higher plants. In: Monographs on theoretical and applied genetics, vol 10. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, p 1005
Kehrel B, Wiermann R (1985) Immunochemical localization of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and chalcone synthase in anthers. Planta 163:183–190
Laser KD, Lersten NR (1972) Anatomy and cytology of microsp-orogenesis in cytoplasmic male sterile angiosperms. Bot Rev 38:425–454
Lowry OH, Rosebrough NJ, Farr AL, Randall RI (1951) Protein measurement with the folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem 193:265–275
Napoli C, Lemieux C, Jorgensen R (1990) Introduction of a chimeric chalcone synthase gene into Petunia results in reversible co-suppression of homologous genes in trans. Plant Cell 2:279–289
Rittscher M, Wierman R (1983) Occurrence of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) in isolated tapetum cells of Tulipa anthers. Protoplasm 118:219–224
Rittscher M, Wiermann R (1988) Studies on sporopollenin biosynthesis in Tulipa anthers. II. Incorporation of precursors and degradation of the radiolabeled polymer. Sex Plant Reprod 1:132–139
Satake T, Hayase H (1970) Male sterility caused by cooling treatment at the young microspore stage in rice plants. V. Estimation of pollen developmental stage and the most sensitive stage to coolness. Proc Crop Sci Soc Japan 39:468–473
Satoh S, Fujii T (1988) Purification of GP57, and auxin-regulated extracellular glycoprotein of carrots, and its immunocytochemical localization in dermal tissues. Planta 175:364–373
Shivanna KR, Johri BM (1985) The angiosperm pollen, structure and function. Wiley Eastern, New Delhi, p 374
Stanley RG, Linskens HF (1974) Pollen, biology biochemistry management. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, p 307
Tanaka Y, Kojima M, Uritani I (1974) Properties, development and cellular-localization of cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase in cutinjured sweet potato. Plant Cell Physiol 15:843–854
Tanaka Y, Uritani I (1977) Synthesis and turnover of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase in root tissue of sweet potato injured by cutting. Eur J Biochem 73:255–260
Taylor LP, Jorgensen R (1992) Conditional male fertility in chalcone synthase-deficient petunia. J Hered 83:11–17
Van der Meer IM, Stam ME, van Tunen AJ, Mol JNM, Stuitje AR (1992) Antisense inhibition of flavonoid biosynthesis in Petunia anthers results in male sterility. Plant Cell 4:253–262
Wiermann R (1970) Die Synthese von Phenylpropanen während der Pollenentwicklung. Planta 95:133–145
Williamson DH, Fennell DJ (1975) The use of fluorescent DNA-binding agent for detecting and separating yeast mitochondrial DNA. Methods Cell Biol 12:335–351
Ylstra B, Touraev A, Benito Moreno RM, Stöger E, van Tunen AJ, Vicente O, Mol JNM, Heberle-Bors E (1992) Flavonols stimulate development, germination, and tube growth of tobacco pollen. Plant Physiol 100:902–907
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kishitani, S., Yomoda, A., Konno, N. et al. Involvement of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase in the development of pollen in broccoli (Brassica oleracea L.). Sexual Plant Reprod 6, 244–248 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00231901
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00231901