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Advances in Regulation of Anther Tapetum Development under Temperature Stress

NIE Jia1,2, LIN Hui-zi1,2, TANG Zhe-yuan1,2, CHEN Li-yu2,3()   

  1. 1.College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002
    2.Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002
    3.College of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002
  • Received:2026-01-16 Online:2026-06-03
  • Contact: CHEN Li-yu E-mail:lychen@fafu.edu

Abstract:

With the escalation of global warming, extreme weather events have become more frequent, leading to temperature stress that severely compromises pollen fertility and results in significant agricultural losses. The tapetum, consisting of secretory cells located in the inner wall of the anther, provides vital nutrients for microspore development and materials essential for pollen exine formation. During anther development, tapetum cells undergo programmed cell death (PCD); deviations in the timing of this process, whether premature or delayed, can lead to pollen sterility. Recent studies indicate that high temperatures primarily trigger early PCD in tapetum cells, whereas low temperatures tend to inhibit or delay it. This process is often accompanied by excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and hormone signaling disruption. Additionally, temperature stress induces structural and functional abnormalities in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), resulting in massive accumulation of misfolded and unfolded proteins. Temperature stress can also directly disrupt protein homeostasis by interfering with protein degradation. Furthermore, the genetic module DYT1-TDF1-AMS-MYB80-MS1, which regulates the development and degradation of the anther tapetum, also plays an important role in responding to temperature stress. In this review, we examine the phenotypic characteristics of tapetal cells under high and low temperature stress, and summarize how these stresses regulate the expression of the tapetal DYT1-TDF1-AMS-MYB80-MS1 transcriptional activation cascade. This regulation disrupts the homeostasis of ROS, ER and proteins, and triggers phytohormone signaling disruption, interfering with tapetal development and the timing of PCD, ultimately affecting pollen fertility. In addition, we discuss the challenges of studying the effects of temperature stress on pollen fertility during the sexual reproductive phase of plants, and explore the potential applications of these studies in crop breeding and agricultural production. These applications include breeding temperature-tolerant cultivars, enriching crop stress resistance gene pools, optimizing cultivation management strategies, and developing novel chemical regulators.

Key words: temperature stress, tapetum, programmed cell death, pollen fertility, reactive oxygen species, hormone signaling, endoplasmic reticulum stress, proteostasis