VAMP726 from maize and Arabidopsis confers pollen resistance to heat and UV radiation by influencing lignin content of sporopollenin

• DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2023.100682
• Publication Date: 2023-09-09T23:22:33Z
• Authors: Wenqi Yang; Dongdong Yao; Haiyang Duan; Junli Zhang; Yaling Cai; Chen Lan; Bing Zhao; Yong Mei; Yan Zheng; Erbing Yang; Xiaoduo Lu; Xuehai Zhang; Jihua Tang; Ke Yu; Xuebin Zhang
• Keywords: Sporopollenin; Phenylpropanoid

Sporopollenin in the pollen cell wall protects male gametophytes from stresses. Phenylpropanoid derivatives, including guaiacyl (G) lignin units, are known to be structural components of sporopollenin, but exact composition sporopollenin remains fully resolved. We analyzed phenylpropanoid derivatives maize and Arabidopsis by thioacidolysis coupled with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The NMR GC-MS results confirmed presence p-hydroxyphenyl (H), G, syringyl (S) units Arabidopsis. Strikingly, H account for majority monomers these species. next performed a genome-wide association study explore genetic basis identified vesicle-associated membrane protein (ZmVAMP726) that is strongly associated monomer sporopollenin. Genetic manipulation VAMP726 affected not only also resistance heat UV radiation Arabidopsis, indicating functionally conserved monocot dicot plants. Our work provides new insight into serve as characterizes VAMP726, which affects stress pollen.