Abstract
Endosperm transfer cells (ETC) are one of four main types of cells in endosperm. A characteristic feature of ETC is the presence of cell wall in-growths that create an enlarged plasma membrane surface area. This specialized cell structure is important for the specific function of ETC, which is to transfer nutrients from maternal vascular tissue to endosperm. ETC-specific genes are of particular interest to plant biotechnologists, who use genetic engineering to improve grain quality and yield characteristics of important field crops. The success of molecular biology-based approaches to manipulating ETC function is dependent on a thorough understanding of the functions of ETC-specific genes and ETC-specific promoters. The aim of this review is to summarize the existing data on structure and function of ETC-specific genes and their products. Potential applications of ETC-specific genes, and in particular their promoters for biotechnology will be discussed.
Highlights
Transfer cells are highly specialized plant cells responsible for the transport of solutes and nutrients from source to sink organs (Offler et al, 2003; Olsen, 2004)
It was discovered that Endosperm transfer cells (ETC) are not a part of maternal tissues, but rather a modification of part of the aleurone cell layer(s), which is located near to maternal vascular tissues
Large numbers of ETC-specific genes and genes predominantly expressed in ETC have been isolated and characterized from important cereal crop species and other plants during the last decade
Summary
Transfer cells are highly specialized plant cells responsible for the transport of solutes and nutrients from source to sink organs (Offler et al, 2003; Olsen, 2004). Various molecular markers based on genes that are or preferentially expressed in ETC, have been identified and isolated from maize, wheat, barley, and rice (Hueros et al, 1995, 1999a; Doan et al, 1996; Serna et al, 2001; Cai et al, 2002; Gutierrez-Marcos et al, 2004; Li et al, 2008; Kovalchuk et al, 2009) Some of these markers were used by cytologists to localize ETC and determine their fate at different stages of grain development. The first TCS components identified in cereal grains were the maize genes Transfer Cell Response Regulators 1 and 2 (ZmTCRR-1 and ZmTCRR-2; Table 1). These encode members of the type-A RR of the TCS, which are responsible for phospho-transfer-based signal transduction (Muñiz et al, 2006, 2010). It is proposed to Frontiers in Plant Science | Plant Physiology www.frontiersin.org
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