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Identification of a canonical SCFSLF complex involved in S-RNase-based self-incompatibility of Pyrus (Rosaceae)

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Abstract

S-RNase-based self-incompatibility (SI) is an intraspecific reproductive barrier to prevent self-fertilization found in many species of the Solanaceae, Plantaginaceae and Rosaceae. In this system, S-RNase and SLF/SFB (S-locus F-box) genes have been shown to control the pistil and pollen SI specificity, respectively. Recent studies have shown that the SLF functions as a substrate receptor of a SCF (Skp1/Cullin1/F-box)-type E3 ubiquitin ligase complex to target S-RNases in Solanaceae and Plantaginaceae, but its role in Rosaceae remains largely undefined. Here we report the identification of two pollen-specific SLF-interacting Skp1-like (SSK) proteins, PbSSK1 and PbSSK2, in Pyrus bretschneideri from the tribe Pyreae of Rosaceae. Both yeast two-hybrid and pull-down assays demonstrated that they could connect PbSLFs to PbCUL1 to form a putative canonical SCFSLF (SSK/CUL1/SLF) complex in Pyrus. Furthermore, pull-down assays showed that the SSK proteins could bind SLF and CUL1 in a cross-species manner between Pyrus and Petunia. Additionally, phylogenetic analysis revealed that the SSK-like proteins from Solanaceae, Plantaginaceae and Rosaceae form a monoclade group, hinting their shared evolutionary origin. Taken together, with the recent identification of a canonical SCFSFB complex in Prunus of the tribe Amygdaleae of Rosaceae, our results show that a conserved canonical SCFSLF/SFB complex is present in Solanaceae, Plantaginaceae and Rosaceae, implying that S-RNase-based self-incompatibility shares a similar molecular and biochemical mechanism.

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Abbreviations

SI:

Self-incompatibility

SLF:

S-locus F-box

SFB:

S-haplotype-specific F-box

SFBB:

S-locus F-box brother

SSK:

SLF-interacting Skp1-like

SCF:

Skp1-Cullin1-F-box

SBP1:

S-RNase-binding protein1

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully thank Hui Zhang, Wei Liu and other lab members for their critical comments on the manuscript. This work was supported by National Basic Research Program of China (2011CB915404 and 2013CB945100), National Natural Science Foundation of China (30921003 and 31071784), Beijing Natural Science Foundation (6102017) and Post-doctoral Science Foundation of China (20100480521).

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  1. Maofu Li

    Present address: State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Beijing, 100101, China

    Chi Xu, Maofu Li, Han Guo, Qun Li, Yu’e Zhang & Yongbiao Xue

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China

    Chi Xu & Han Guo

  3. Laboratory of Fruit Tree Cell and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China

    Junkai Wu & Tianzhong Li

  4. School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    Jijie Chai

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  1. Chi Xu
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Tianzhong Li or Yongbiao Xue.

Additional information

Chi Xu and Maofu Li contributed equally to this work.

Accession numbers: HE802069 (PbSLF3-S 34 ), HE802070 (PbSLF6-S 21 ), HE802072 (PbSSK1), HE802071 (PbSSK2), and HE802075 (PbCUL1).

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Xu, C., Li, M., Wu, J. et al. Identification of a canonical SCFSLF complex involved in S-RNase-based self-incompatibility of Pyrus (Rosaceae). Plant Mol Biol 81, 245–257 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11103-012-9995-x

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