Arabidopsis COG Complex Subunits COG3 and COG8 Modulate Golgi Morphology, Vesicle Trafficking Homeostasis and Are Essential for Pollen Tube Growth

PLoS Genet. 2016 Jul 22;12(7):e1006140. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006140. eCollection 2016 Jul.

Abstract

Spatially and temporally regulated membrane trafficking events incorporate membrane and cell wall materials into the pollen tube apex and are believed to underlie the rapid pollen tube growth. In plants, the molecular mechanisms and physiological functions of intra-Golgi transport and Golgi integrity maintenance remain largely unclear. The conserved oligomeric Golgi (COG) complex has been implicated in tethering of retrograde intra-Golgi vesicles in yeast and mammalian cells. Using genetic and cytologic approaches, we demonstrate that T-DNA insertions in Arabidopsis COG complex subunits, COG3 and COG8, cause an absolute, male-specific transmission defect that can be complemented by expression of COG3 and COG8 from the LAT52 pollen promoter, respectively. No obvious abnormalities in the microgametogenesis of the two mutants are observed, but in vitro and in vivo pollen tube growth are defective. COG3 or COG8 proteins fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP) label the Golgi apparatus. In pollen of both mutants, Golgi bodies exhibit altered morphology. Moreover, γ-COP and EMP12 proteins lose their tight association with the Golgi. These defects lead to the incorrect deposition of cell wall components and proteins during pollen tube growth. COG3 and COG8 interact directly with each other, and a structural model of the Arabidopsis COG complex is proposed. We believe that the COG complex helps to modulate Golgi morphology and vesicle trafficking homeostasis during pollen tube tip growth.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport / genetics*
  • Arabidopsis / genetics*
  • Arabidopsis / growth & development
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics*
  • Cell Membrane / genetics*
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Cell Wall / genetics
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Glycosylation
  • Golgi Apparatus / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics*
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Mutant Proteins / genetics
  • Pollen / genetics
  • Pollen / growth & development
  • Pollen Tube / genetics*
  • Pollen Tube / growth & development
  • Protein Subunits / genetics*
  • Protein Transport / genetics

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport
  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Mutant Proteins
  • Protein Subunits
  • T-DNA

Grants and funding

This research was supported by grant 31200236 from the National Science Foundation of China (NSFC); Grants KYTZ201402 and KJQN201534 from the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities in China; Grant 2014ZX0800925B from the Ministry of Agriculture of China for Transgenic Research; Grant 130809001 from the Jiangsu University Superiority Discipline Construction Project. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.