ibclogo XVI International Botanical Congess

Abstract Number: 3880
Poster No. = 455


PROGRAMMED CELL DEATH DURING ARABIDOPSIS ANTHER DEVELOPMENT


M.G.M. Aarts, B. Wanschers, S. de Folter, M. Fiers, J. Cordewener, A. Pereira, G.C. Angenent, CPRO-DLO, Postbus 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands


Programmed cell death (PCD) events in Arabidopsis anthers were studied in a TUNEL assay. Cells with TUNEL positive nuclei were observed in degenerating tapetum, at the stomium, in the endothecium and upon anther senescence. Previously we identified an Arabidopsis mutant with delayed anther opening due to altered PCD at the stomium. Expression of the LAD gene disrupted in this mutant has been studied and results will be discussed.Recently we isolated a Brassica napus gene (Bnp23) induced in degenerating microspores upon microspore embryogenesis. Bnp23 promoter-GUS activity was detected during late anther development and showed remarkable resemblance to the GUS expression in Arabidopsis DAD1 (Defender Against Death)-GUS plants. A possible role in the regulation of anther PCD will be discussed.

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