Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Induction of Male Sterility in Tobacco by Anther-Specific Expression of the Gene for Ricin Enzymatic Subunit A Chain RTA

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Molecular Biotechnology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Targeted gene expression in plants allows us to further study biological traits of interest, such as reproductive and developmental processes. Here, the tobacco TA29 anther-specific promoter was used to direct the expression of the ricin enzymatic subunit A (RTA) in transgenic tobacco plants, phenotypic analysis of the resulting positive transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) plants demonstrated that RTA expression led to a reduction in pistil length and shriveling of anthers, as well as the grayish-brown color of anthers, the reduced pollen viability and male sterility. For the first time, a plant-derived ricin gene enzymatic subunit A (RTA) expression system under the tissue-specific promoter was demonstrated to be sensitive and efficient in controlling plant sterility and creating male-sterile materials. Consequently, it could be used to control other agronomic traits and produce hybrid seeds in plants in the future.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Wang, Q., et al. (2016). Transgenic Bt cotton driven by the green tissue-specific promoter shows strong toxicity to lepidopteran pests and lower Bt toxin accumulation in seeds. Science China Life Sciences,59(2), 172–182.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Shah, A. D., et al. (2011). Spider toxin (Hvt) gene cloned under phloem specific RSs1 and RolC promoters provides resistance against American bollworm (Heliothis armigera). Biotechnology Letters,33(7), 1457–1463.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Tiwari, S., et al. (2009). High level expression of a functionally active cholera toxin B: Rabies glycoprotein fusion protein in tobacco seeds. Plant Cell Reports,28(12), 1827–1836.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Twell, D. (1995). Diphtheria toxin-mediated cell ablation in developing pollen: Vegetative cell ablation blocks generative cell migration. Protoplasma,187(1–4), 144–154.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hartley, R. W. (1989). Barnase and barstar: Two small proteins to fold and fit together. Trends in Biochemical Sciences,14(11), 450–454.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Olsnes, S., & Kozlov, J. V. (2001). Ricin. Toxicon,39(11), 1723–1728.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Roberts, L. M., et al. (1985). The primary sequence of Ricinus communis agglutinin: Comparison with ricin. Journal of Biological Chemistry,260(29), 15682–15686.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Dias, R., et al. (2015). Insights into animal and plant lectins with antimicrobial activities. Molecules,20(1), 519–541.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Lord, J. M., Roberts, L. M., & Robertus, J. D. (1994). Ricin: Structure, mode of action, and some current applications. The FASEB Journal,8(2), 201–208.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Koltunow, A. M., et al. (1990). Different temporal and spatial gene expression patterns occur during anther development. The Plant Cell,2(12), 1201–1224.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Chen, G., et al. (2012). Developing transgenic plants with no seeds by transforming Barnase gene. Journal of Agricultural Biotechnology,20(2), 113–120.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Guerineau, F., et al. (2003). Temperature sensitive diphtheria toxin confers conditional male-sterility in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Biotechnology Journal,1(1), 33–42.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Mariani, C., et al. (1990). Induction of male sterility in plants by a chimaeric ribonuclease gene. Nature,347(6295), 737.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Thorsness, M. K., et al. (1993). Genetic ablation of floral cells in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell,5(3), 253–261.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Czakó, M., et al. (1992). Differential manifestation of seed mortality induced by seed-specific expression of the gene for diphtheria toxin A chain in Arabidopsis and tobacco. Molecular and General Genetics MGG,235(1), 33–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Czako, M., & An, G. (1991). Expression of DNA coding for diphtheria toxin chain A is toxic to plant cells. Plant Physiology,95(3), 687–692.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Cho, H.-J., et al. (2001). Production of transgenic male sterile tobacco plants with the cDNA encoding a ribosome inactivating protein in Dianthus sinensis L. Molecules & Cells,11(3), 326–333.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Koning, A., et al. (1992). Arrest of embryo development in Brassica napus mediated by modified Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A. Plant Molecular Biology,18(2), 247–258.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Goldman, M., Goldberg, R., & Mariani, C. (1994). Female sterile tobacco plants are produced by stigma-specific cell ablation. The EMBO Journal,13(13), 2976–2984.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Kim, Y., & An, G. (1992). Pollen-specific expression of the Arabidopsis thaliana α 1-tubulin promoter assayed by β-glucuronidase, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase and diphtheria toxin reporter genespromoter assayed by β-glucuronidase, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase and diphtheria toxin reporter genes. Transgenic Research,1(4), 188–194.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Lee, Y.-H., et al. (2003). Induction of male sterile cabbage using a tapetum-specific promoter from Brassica campestris L. ssp. pekinensis. Plant Cell Reports,22(4), 268–273.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Kim, H. U., et al. (1998). Pollen ablation of transgenic tobacco plants by expression of the diphtheria toxin A-chain gene under the control of a putative pectin esterase promoter from Chinese cabbage. Molecules & Cells,8(3), 310–311.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Chen, P.-Y., et al. (2003). Complete sequence of the binary vector pBI121 and its application in cloning T-DNA insertion from transgenic plants. Molecular Breeding,11(4), 287–293.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Tregear, J. W., & Roberts, L. M. (1992). The lectin gene family of Ricinus communis: Cloning of a functional ricin gene and three lectin pseudogenes. Plant Molecular Biology,18(3), 515–525.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Bechtold, N., & Bouchez, D. (1995). In planta Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of adult Arabidopsis thaliana plants by vacuum infiltration. In Gene transfer to plants (pp. 19–23). New York: Springer.

  26. Gamborg, O., et al. (1976). Plant tissue culture media. In Vitro,12(7), 473–478.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Kearns, C. A., & Inouye, D. W. (1993). Techniques for pollination biologists. Boulder, CO: University Press of Colorado.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Shivanna, K., Linskens, H., & Cresti, M. (1991). Pollen viability and pollen vigor. Theoretical and Applied Genetics,81(1), 38–42.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Heslop-Harrison, J., & Heslop-Harrison, Y. (1970). Evaluation of pollen viability by enzymatically induced fluorescence; intracellular hydrolysis of fluorescein diacetate. Stain Technology,45(3), 115–120.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

The Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program (ASTIP-TRIC02). Science Foundation for Young Scholars of Tobacco Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (2019B05).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China

    Jing Lv, Chang-bo Dai & Yu-he Sun

  2. Key Laboratory for Tobacco Gene Resources, State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, Qingdao, 266101, China

    Jing Lv, Chang-bo Dai & Yu-he Sun

  3. Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China

    Jing Lv

Authors
  1. Jing Lv
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chang-bo Dai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yu-he Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yu-he Sun.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lv, J., Dai, Cb. & Sun, Yh. Induction of Male Sterility in Tobacco by Anther-Specific Expression of the Gene for Ricin Enzymatic Subunit A Chain RTA. Mol Biotechnol 62, 364–369 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12033-020-00252-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12033-020-00252-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation