College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China.
College of Horticulture and Landscape, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410004, China.
Plant Sci. 2022 Jun;319:111248. doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2022.111248. Epub 2022 Mar 8.
Low seed fertility seriously limits the survival and adaption of rare plant species. Here, we identified a seed-specific gene, DiZF-C3H1, from the dove tree and verified its function. Overexpression of DiZF-C3H1 caused retarded root development, delayed anthesis, abnormal floral organs, and deformed siliques in transgenic Arabidopsis lines. No offspring were obtained in transgenic Arabidopsis lines due to serious seed abortion. Therefore, we performed further verification in tobacco. Similarly, overexpression of DiZF-C3H1 retarded root development and reduced berry size and seed yield in transgenic tobacco lines. Moreover, although transgenic tobacco offspring were obtained, the viability of transgenic seeds was reduced and their germination was delayed. In addition, faded flowers were observed in transgenic tobacco lines. Taken together, DiZF-C3H1 was verified to play a negative role in root growth, floral organ development, and especially seed development in Arabidopsis and tobacco. This appears to be a deleterious gene for these model plants with high seed fertility. However, this function might be of special significance for Davidia, whose seed dormancy period is extremely long; DiZF-C3H1 might play a critical role in the distinctive reproduction strategy adopted by this rare and endangered species.
种子活力低严重限制了珍稀植物物种的生存和适应。在这里，我们从珙桐中鉴定出一个种子特异性基因 DiZF-C3H1，并验证了其功能。过表达 DiZF-C3H1 导致转基因拟南芥品系根发育迟缓、花期延迟、花器官异常和蒴果变形。由于严重的种子败育，转基因拟南芥系中未获得后代。因此，我们在烟草中进行了进一步的验证。同样，过表达 DiZF-C3H1 导致转基因烟草系根发育迟缓，浆果大小和种子产量减少。此外，尽管获得了转基因烟草的后代，但转基因种子的活力降低，发芽延迟。此外，在转基因烟草系中观察到花朵褪色。总之，DiZF-C3H1 被证实负调控拟南芥和烟草中的根生长、花器官发育，尤其是种子发育。这对于种子活力较高的这些模式植物来说，似乎是一个有害基因。然而，对于珙桐来说，这种功能可能具有特殊意义，因为其种子休眠期极长；DiZF-C3H1 可能在这个珍稀濒危物种特有的繁殖策略中发挥关键作用。
