Possible Role of Crystal-Bearing Cells in Tomato Fertility and Formation of Seedless Fruits

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 21; no. 24; p. 9480
• Main Authors: Baranova, Ekaterina N, Chaban, Inna A, Kurenina, Ludmila V, Konovalova, Ludmila N, Varlamova, Natalia V, Khaliluev, Marat R, Gulevich, Alexander A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 13-12-2020; MDPI
• Subjects: anther dehiscence; anther structure; Calcium; Calcium oxalate; Calcium Oxalate - adverse effects; Calcium Oxalate - metabolism; Cell death; Connective tissue; crystal-bearing cells; Crystals; Cytology; Fertility; Fertility - genetics; Fertility - physiology; Flowers & plants; Flowers - cytology; Flowers - genetics; Flowers - metabolism; Flowers - ultrastructure; Fruit - metabolism; Fruits; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant - genetics; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant - physiology; Kidney stones; Localization; mesophyll ultrastructure; Metabolism; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning Transmission; Morphology; Organs; Ovaries; Oxalic acid; Oxidative stress; Parenchyma; Pathogens; Plant Leaves - metabolism; Plant Leaves - ultrastructure; Plants, Genetically Modified - metabolism; Pollen; Pollen - cytology; Pollen - genetics; Pollen - metabolism; Pollen - ultrastructure; pollen fertility; Scanning electron microscopy; Seeds; Solanum lycopersicum; Solanum lycopersicum - cytology; Solanum lycopersicum - metabolism; Superoxide Dismutase - genetics; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism; Transgenic plants; pollen fertility; anther dehiscence; crystal-bearing cells; calcium oxalate; programed death; anther structure; mesophyll ultrastructure; transgenic plant
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms21249480

Crystal-bearing cells or idioblasts, which deposit calcium oxalate, are located in various tissues and organs of many plant species. The functional significance of their formation is currently unclear. Idioblasts in the leaf parenchyma and the development of crystal-bearing cells in the anther tissues of transgenic tomato plants (
L.), expressing the heterologous
gene and which showed a decrease in fertility, were studied by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The amount of calcium oxalate crystals was found to increase significantly in the transgenic plants compared to the wild type (WT) ones in idioblasts and crystal-bearing cells of the upper part of the anther. At the same time, changes in the size and shape of the crystals and their location in anther organs were noted. It seems that the interruption in the break of the anther stomium in transgenic plants was associated with the formation and cell death regulation of a specialized group of crystal-bearing cells. This disturbance caused an increase in the pool of these cells and their localization in the upper part of the anther, where rupture is initiated. Perturbations were also noted in the lower part of the anther in transgenic plants, where the amount of calcium oxalate crystals in crystal-bearing cells was reduced that was accompanied by disturbances in the morphology of pollen grains. Thus, the induction of the formation of crystal-bearing cells and calcium oxalate crystals can have multidirectional effects, contributing to the regulation of oxalate metabolism in the generative and vegetative organs and preventing fertility when the ROS balance changes, in particular, during oxidative stresses accompanying most abiotic and biotic environmental factors.