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Spatiotemporally dynamic, cell-type–dependent premeiotic and meiotic phasiRNAs in maize anthers

2015; National Academy of Sciences; Volume: 112; Issue: 10 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1073/pnas.1418918112

1091-6490

Jixian Zhai, Han Zhang, Siwaret Arikit, Kun Huang, Guo-Ling Nan, Virginia Walbot, Blake C. Meyers,

Plant Reproductive Biology

Significance By RNA profiling of 10 stages of maize anthers plus mature pollen, we found two distinct classes of phased small-interfering RNAs (phasiRNAs): 21-nt premeiotic phasiRNAs, after germinal and somatic cell specification, and 24-nt meiotic phasiRNAs coordinately accumulated during meiosis and persist into pollen. Sequencing of RNA from five male-sterile, anther developmental mutants— ocl4 , mac1 , ms23 , msca1 , and ameiotic1 —demonstrated the involvement of specific somatic layers. Premeiotic phasiRNAs require a functional epidermis, whereas meiotic phasiRNAs require a normal tapetum. Mammalian germ cells express “prepachytene” or “pachytene” PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs). Whereas differences in biogenesis indicate independent origins, grass phasiRNAs and mammalian piRNAs share developmental timing, a lack of obvious targets, and an impact on male fertility, suggesting a possible evolutionary convergence.