Temporal and spatial activation of caspase-like enzymes induced by self-incompatibility in Papaver pollen.

ABSTRACT: Caspase-like proteases are universal mediators of programmed cell death (PCD). Because plants have no caspase homologs, establishing the nature of their caspase-like activities is of considerable importance to our understanding of PCD in plants. Caspase-3, displaying DEVD specificity, is a key executioner caspase in animal cells. Self-incompatibility (SI) is an important mechanism to prevent self-fertilization and inbreeding in higher plants by inhibiting incompatible pollen. In Papaver rhoeas, SI activates a caspase-3-like/DEVDase activity in incompatible pollen that plays a pivotal role in regulating PCD. Here we characterize the SI-induced caspase-like activities in detail; our work provides insights into the temporal and spatial activation of plant caspase-like enzymes. We show that SI

SUBMITTER: Bosch M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2084342 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature