Separated Transcriptomes of Male Gametophyte and Tapetum in Rice. Oryza sativa

In flowering plants, the male gametophyte, the pollen, develops in the anther. Complex patterns of gene expression in both the gametophytic and sporophytic tissues of the anther regulate this process. The gene expression profiles of the microspore/pollen and the sporophytic tapetum are of particular interest. In this study, a microarray technique combined with laser microdissection (44K LM-microarray) was developed and used to characterize separately the transcriptomes of the microspore/pollen and tapetum in rice. Expression profiles of 11 known tapetum specific-genes were consistent with previous reports. Based on the spatiotemporal expression patterns and gene ontology (GO) categories of anther-expressed genes, some noteworthy expression patterns are discussed in connection with various important biological events of anther development. Overall design: The separated transcriptomes of rice microspore/pollen and tapetum were measured at the premeiosis, meiosis, tetrad, uninuclear, bicellular, and tricelluar stages by using laser microdissection (LM)-mediated microarray.