Induction of Male Sterility in Tobacco by Anther-Specific Expression of the Gene for Ricin Enzymatic Subunit A Chain RTA.

Targeted gene expression in plants allows us to further study biological traits of interest, such as reproductive and developmental processes. Here, the tobacco TA29 anther-specific promoter was used to direct the expression of the ricin enzymatic subunit A (RTA) in transgenic tobacco plants, phenotypic analysis of the resulting positive transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) plants demonstrated that RTA expression led to a reduction in pistil length and shriveling of anthers, as well as the grayish-brown color of anthers, the reduced pollen viability and male sterility. For the first time, a plant-derived ricin gene enzymatic subunit A (RTA) expression system under the tissue-specific promoter was demonstrated to be sensitive and efficient in controlling plant sterility and creating male-sterile materials. Consequently, it could be used to control other agronomic traits and produce hybrid seeds in plants in the future.