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Control of anther cell differentiation: a teamwork of receptor-like kinases

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Abstract

Successful sexual reproduction depends on normal cell differentiation during early anther development in flowering plants. The anther typically has four lobes, each of which contains highly specialized reproductive (microsporocyte) and somatic cells (epidermis, endothecium, middle layer, and tapetum). To date, six leucine-rich repeat receptor-like protein kinases (LRR-RLK) have been identified to have roles in regulation of anther cell patterning in Arabidopsis thaliana. EXCESS MICROSPOROCYTES1 (EMS1)/EXTRA SPOROGENOUS CELLS (EXS) and SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS RECEPTOR-LIKE KINASES1/2 (SERK1/2) signal the differentiation of the tapetum. BARELY ANY MERISTEM1/2 (BAM1/2) defines anther somatic cell layers, including the endothecium, middle layer, and tapetum. Moreover, RECEPTOR-LIKE PROTEIN KINASE2 (RPK2) is required for the differentiation of middle layer cells. In addition to process of anther cell differentiation, conserved regulation of anther cell differentiation in different plant species, this review mainly discusses how these receptor-like kinases and other regulators work together to control anther cell fate determination in Arabidopsis.

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Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Hong Ma for giving me the opportunity to study anther development when I was in his laboratory. His insight greatly influenced my decision to continue my research in this area. I also thank H. A. Owen and C. Starrett for critical comments on this manuscript, and thank G. Jia for providing the image of the anther section. This work was supported by a grant from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Research Growth Initiative (RGI) Program (to D.Z.), an NSF grant IOS-0721192 (to D.Z.), and the Shaw Scientist Award (to D.Z.).

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Lapham Hall, S181, 3209 N. Maryland Ave, Milwaukee, WI, 53211, USA

    Dazhong Zhao

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Correspondence to Dazhong Zhao.

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Communicated by David Twell.

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Zhao, D. Control of anther cell differentiation: a teamwork of receptor-like kinases. Sex Plant Reprod 22, 221–228 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00497-009-0106-3

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