Functional confirmation of BcMF3 gene related to male sterility of Chinese cabbage-pak-choi (Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis) by antisense RNA
白菜雄性不育相关基因BcMF3功能的反义RNA验证

Based on the cDNA sequence of BcMF3 gene,which is related to male sterility of Chinese cabbage and encodes a pectin methylesterase(PME),specific primers were designed,and a 458 bp fragment was amplified from the cDNA of flower buds of common Chinese cabbage-pak-choi(Brassica campestris ssp.chinensis var.communis,syn.B.rapa ssp.chinensis var.communis).An expression vector was then constructed using the produced fragment.The Agrobacterium tumefaciens harboring BcMF3 fragment was transformed to flowering Chinese cabbage(B.campestris ssp.chinensis var.parachinensis) via tissue culture.31.3% tested pollen grains from transgenic plants exhibited abnormal shape;Only a portion of the pollen grains from transgenic plants were of vigor,and 31.6% of the pollen grains from transgenic plants germinated normally;The PME activity of the anther from the plants with abnormal pollens was decreased by 12.8%.These results suggested that the product of BcMF3 gene tightly correlates to the pollen development of Chinese cabbage crops such as Chinese cabbage-pak-choi and flowering Chinese cabbage.