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Programmed cell death of secretory cavity cells of citrus fruits is associated with Ca2+ accumulation in the nucleus

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An increase in Ca 2+ concentration in the nucleus may activate the PCD of secretory cavity cells, and further Ca 2+ accumulation contributes to the regulation of nuclear DNA degradation.

Abstract

Calcium plays an important role in plant programmed cell death (PCD). Previously, we confirmed that PCD was involved in the degradation of secretory cavity cells in Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck fruits. To further explore the function of calcium in the PCD of secretory cavity cells, we used potassium pyroantimonate precipitation to detect and locate calcium dynamics. At the precursor cell stage of the secretory cavity, Ca2+ was only distributed in the cell walls. At the early stage of secretory cavity initial cells, Ca2+ in the cell walls was gradually transported into the cytoplasm via pinocytotic vesicles. Although a small amount of Ca2+ was present in the nucleus, the TUNEL signal was scarcely observed. At the middle stage of initial cells, a large number of pinocytotic vesicles were transferred to the nucleus, where the vesicle membrane fused with the nuclear membrane to release calcium into the nucleoplasm. In addition, abundant Ca2+ aggregated in the condensed chromatin and nucleolus, where the TUNEL signal appeared the strongest. At the late stage of initial cells, the chromatin and nucleolus gradually degraded and disappeared, and the nucleus appeared broken-like, as Ca2+ in the cell wall had nearly completely disappeared, and Ca2+ in the nucleus was also rapidly reduced. Furthermore, the TUNEL signal also disappeared. These phenomena indicated that an increase in Ca2+ concentration in the nucleus might activate the PCD of secretory cavity cells, and further Ca2+ accumulation contributed to the regulation of nuclear DNA degradation.

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Author contribution statement

Zheng Ping and Bai Mei are responsible for catology and cytochemistry experiments and related results analysis. Chen Ying and Liang Shejian are responsible for PCD detection. Liu Peiwei and Gao Lu are responsible for the preliminary experiments about calcium localization. Wu Hong is responsible for the results and essay writing.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project No. 30670119) to HW.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China

    P. Zheng, M. Bai, Y. Chen, P. W. Liu, L. Gao, S. J. Liang & H. Wu

  2. Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China

    H. Wu

  3. Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, 712046, China

    Y. Chen

  4. Hainan Branch, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Wanning, 571533, China

    P. W. Liu

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  1. P. Zheng
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  2. M. Bai
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  3. Y. Chen
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  4. P. W. Liu
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  5. L. Gao
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  6. S. J. Liang
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  7. H. Wu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to H. Wu.

Additional information

Communicated by D. Treutter.

P. Zheng and M. Bai are co-first authors.

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Zheng, P., Bai, M., Chen, Y. et al. Programmed cell death of secretory cavity cells of citrus fruits is associated with Ca2+ accumulation in the nucleus. Trees 28, 1137–1144 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-014-1024-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-014-1024-z

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