The Function Of Annexin Gene Family In Gametogenesis And Embryogenesis In Arabidopsis

Our laboratory has been engaged in the study of sexual reproduction of angiosperms for a long time.The isolation technique and transcriptome sequencing database of Arabidopsis gametocytes have been developed and many related studies have been carried out.Based on these previous works,annexin genes were selected from the database as the research object to explore their functions in sexual reproduction.Annexin gene family in Arabidopsis have eight members with typical annexins structure,consisting of four homologous repeat motifs which contain conserved calcium ion-and phospholipid-binding sites,and are involved in the regulation of important processes such as vesicle trafficking and reproductive development.The involvement of annexin in the process of vesicle trafficking is interesting.It has been reported that a member of the family regulates the cytoskeleton of pollen and the cytoplasmic streaming of pollen tubes to influent the developmental fates.Secreted proteins from the egg cells are known to be essential for double fertilization and embryogenesis,but it is not well understood how they are secreted.In this work,we selected Arabidopsis annexin gene family to explore the answer to this question.Firstly,bioinformatic analysis was performed to obtain the genetic relationship and structural characteristics of Arabidopsis annexin gene family.Next,according to the bioinformatic analysis,the expression pattern of annexin was studied and the expression status in gametes and early embryos was observed.Further,mutants of the annexin family were identified.Besides,a batch of multiple mutants were constructed by hybridization and gene editing to examine the development of various tissues during gametogenesis and embryogenesis.No abnormal phenotype was observed in those mutants,which may be due to the insertion sites of the mutants or the functional redundancy of the genes.Finally,interactions between the annexins and two secreted proteins specifically expressed by egg cells were determined suggesting annexins may play important roles in fertilization and embryogenesis.