Identification and functional analysis of arabinogalactan protein expressed in pear pollen tubes

Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) are widely distributed in the plant kingdom and play a vital role during the process of plant sexual reproduction.  In this study, we performed a comprehensive identification of the PbrAGPs expressed in pear pollen and further explored their influences on pollen tube growth.  Among the 187 PbrAGPs that were found to be expressed in pear pollen tubes, 38 PbrAGPs were specifically expressed in pollen according to the RNA-seq data.  The PbrAGPs were divided into two groups of highly expressed and specifically expressed in pear pollen.  We further tested their expression patterns using RT-PCR and RT-qPCR.  Most of the PbrAGPs were expressed in multiple tissues and their expression levels were consistent with reads per kilobase per million map reads (RPKM) values during pollen tube growth, implying that PbrAGPs might be involved in the regulation of pear pollen tube growth.  We also constructed phylogenetic trees to identify the functional genes in pear pollen tube growth.  Therefore, 19 PbrAGPs (PbrAGP1 to PbrAGP19) were selected to test their influences on pollen tube growth.  Recombinant proteins of the 19 PbrAGP-His were purified and used to treat pear pollen, and 11 of the PbrAGP-His recombinant proteins could promote pear pollen tube growth.  Additionally, pollen tube growth was inhibited when the expression levels of PbrAGP1 and PbrAGP5 were knocked down using an antisense oligonucleotide assay.  PbrAGP1 and PbrAGP5 were localized in the plasma membrane and might not alter the distribution of pectin in the pollen tube.  In summary, this study identified the PbrAGPs expressed in pear pollen and lays the foundation for further exploring their functions in pollen tube growth.