Pollen tube emergence is mediated by ovary-expressed ALCATRAZ in cucumber

Zhihua Cheng, Xiaofeng Liu, Shuangshuang Yan, Bin Liu, Yanting Zhong, Weiyuan Song, Jiacai Chen, Zhongyi Wang, Gen Che, Liu Liu, Ao Ying, Hanli Lv, Lijie Han, Min Li, Jianyu Zhao, Junqiang Xu, Zhengan Yang, Zhaoyang Zhou () and Xiaolan Zhang ()
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Zhihua Cheng: China Agricultural University
Xiaofeng Liu: China Agricultural University
Shuangshuang Yan: China Agricultural University
Bin Liu: CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB
Yanting Zhong: China Agricultural University
Weiyuan Song: China Agricultural University
Jiacai Chen: China Agricultural University
Zhongyi Wang: China Agricultural University
Gen Che: China Agricultural University
Liu Liu: China Agricultural University
Ao Ying: China Agricultural University
Hanli Lv: China Agricultural University
Lijie Han: China Agricultural University
Min Li: China Agricultural University
Jianyu Zhao: China Agricultural University
Junqiang Xu: Yunnan Agricultural University
Zhengan Yang: Yunnan Agricultural University
Zhaoyang Zhou: China Agricultural University
Xiaolan Zhang: China Agricultural University

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Abstract Pollen tube guidance within female tissues of flowering plants can be divided into preovular guidance, ovular guidance and a connecting stage called pollen tube emergence. As yet, no female factor has been identified to positively regulate this transition process. In this study, we show that an ovary-expressed bHLH transcription factor Cucumis sativus ALCATRAZ (CsALC) functions in pollen tube emergence in cucumber. CsALC knockout mutants showed diminished pollen tube emergence, extremely reduced entry into ovules, and a 95% reduction in female fertility. Further examination showed two rapid alkalinization factors CsRALF4 and CsRALF19 were less expressed in Csalc ovaries compared to WT. Besides the loss of male fertility derived from precocious pollen tube rupture as in Arabidopsis, Csralf4 Csralf19 double mutants exhibited a 60% decrease in female fertility due to reduced pollen tube distribution and decreased ovule targeting efficiency. In brief, CsALC regulates female fertility and promotes CsRALF4/19 expression in the ovary during pollen tube guidance in cucumber.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35936-z

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