FGM1/rPPR4-dependent female gamete maturation is essential for seed development initiation in Arabidopsis

doi:10.1111/jipb.13922

J Integr Plant Biol.

• Research Article •

FGM1/rPPR4-dependent female gamete maturation is essential for seed development initiation in Arabidopsis

Feng Gong¹, Rongxin Lin¹, Zonglin Liu¹, Xiaorong Huang^1‡, Meng‐xiang Sun^1* and Xiongbo Peng^1,2*

1. State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
2. Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China

^‡State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361100, China
^*Correspondences: Meng‐xiang Sun (mxsun@whu.edu.cn); Xiongbo Peng (bobopx@whu.edu.cn, Dr. Peng is fully responsible for the distribution of all materials associated with this article)

Received:2025-02-23 Accepted:2025-04-08 Online:2025-05-21
Supported by:
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32130031,32270360, 31991201, and 31800265) and the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province (2024AFA010, 2024AFE007).

Abstract

Abstract: Gamete maturation is critical for fertility of both animals and plants; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes remain poorly understood in plants. Here, we report the Female Gamete Maturation 1 (FGM1/rPPR4), a component of mitoribosome large subunit in Arabidopsis directly interacts with the mitochondrial protein GAMETE CELL DEFECTIVE 1 (GCD1) and plays an essential role in female gamete maturation and subsequent zygote–embryo transition and endosperm development. We reveal that FGM1/rPPR4, assisted by GCD1, is an essential factor for female gamete maturation. We also confirm that female gamete maturation is necessary for the capacity of post-fertilization zygote–embryo transition and endosperm development, but not for double fertilization, indicating that essential mechanisms are established during female gamete maturation to provide a molecular basis for seed development initiation and plant fertility.

Key words: egg cell, embryogenesis, gamete maturation, PPR protein

Feng Gong, Rongxin Lin, Zonglin Liu, Xiaorong Huang, Meng‐xiang Sun, Xiongbo Peng. FGM1/rPPR4-dependent female gamete maturation is essential for seed development initiation in Arabidopsis[J]. J Integr Plant Biol., DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13922.

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FGM1/rPPR4-dependent female gamete maturation is essential for seed development initiation in Arabidopsis

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