Molecular and Developmental Biology: Pistil Abortion

Abstract

To understand the role of miRNAs and genes in pistil development, high-throughput sequencing was used to identify pistil-development-related miRNAs and transcripts in Japanese apricot. A combination of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time of flight/time of flight (MALDI-TOF/TOF) approaches was used to identify the differentially expressed proteomes between perfect and imperfect flower buds in Japanese apricot. The conclusions were as follows: ACL, SAM, XTH and CCoAOMT could promote the formation of cell walls in perfect flower buds in Japanese apricot, which greatly contributes to pistil development. Here, SHT may be involved in the O-methylation of spermidine conjugates and could contribute to abnormal floral development. The identification of such differentially expressed proteins provides a new target for future studies to assess their physiological roles and significance in pistil abortion. Comparative analysis showed that six potentially novel miRNAs were differentially expressed between perfect and imperfect flower buds. Target predictions of the 13 differentially expressed miRNAs resulted in 212 target genes. It is predicted that miR319/miR319a/miR319e target ARF2 genes and that miR160a targets ARF16/17. Auxin regulates a variety of physiological and developmental processes in plants. The ARF has been reported to regulate flower and leaf development. These findings provide valuable information for further molecular mechanisms associated with pistil development.