Two large Arabidopsis thaliana gene families are homologous to the Brassica gene superfamily that encodes pollen coat proteins and the male component of the self-incompatibility response

Vincent Vanoosthuyse (1) , Christine Miege (2) , Christian Dumas (2) , J. Mark Cock (3)

1 LBMC - Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire de la Cellule
2 RDP - Reproduction et développement des plantes
3 Végétaux marins et biomolécules

The male component of the self-incompatibility response in Brassica has recently been shown to be encoded by the S locus cysteine-rich gene (SCR). SCR is related, at the sequence level, to the pollen coat protein (PCP) gene family whose members encode small, cysteine-rich proteins located in the proteo-lipidic surface layer (tryphine) of Brassica pollen grains. Here we show that the Arabidopsis genome includes two large gene families with homology to SCR and to the PCP gene family, respectively. These genes are poorly predicted by gene-identification algorithms and, with few exceptions, have been missed in previous annotations. Based on sequence comparison and an analysis of the expression patterns of several members of each family, we discuss the possible functions of these genes. In particular, we consider the possibility that SCR-related genes in Arabidopsis may encode ligands for the S gene family of receptor-like kinases in this species.

Keywords: S locus cysteine-rich protein; receptor-like kinase ligand; pollen coat protein; defensin; Brassica oleracea; Arabidopsis thaliana

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]

Vincent Vanoosthuyse, Christine Miege, Christian Dumas, J. Mark Cock. Two large Arabidopsis thaliana gene families are homologous to the Brassica gene superfamily that encodes pollen coat proteins and the male component of the self-incompatibility response. Plant Molecular Biology Reporter, 2001, 46, pp.17 - 34. ⟨10.1023/a:1010664704926⟩. ⟨hal-01926539⟩