Characterization and Expression Pattern of a Putative Pectin Methylesterase Gene, BcMF27, in Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis

Abstract

Pectin methylesterases (PMEs) play an important role in modifying cell wall. PMEs catalyze the de-esterification of pectin, an important compound of cell wall, to affect fertility in plant reproduction. However, little especially molecular mechanism about pectin methylesterase is studied in recent years despite its importance to reproductive development in flower plant. Here the bioinformatics analysis of BcMF27 (Brassica campestris Male Fertility 27) (BRAD: Bra000541 GenBank: KT600012) sequence isolated from Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis showed its highly and characteristically conserved structure as a pectin methylesterase. Transient expression analysis in the onion epidermal cells revealed the product of BcMF27 was a transmembrane protein. Real-time RT-PCR and in situ hybridization suggested that BcMF27 was expressed in pollen grain and pollen tube. This study demonstrates that BcMF27 encodes a transmembrane pollen- and pollen tube-specific PME gene, and is also considered to help further understand the biological function of pectin methylesterases and the molecular mechanism of pollen development, pollen tube growth as a genic tool.