Shanshan Zhu, Jianmin Wan

New Phytologist; 2025; IF 8.30

DOI: 10.1111/nph.20435

Abstract

The tapetum plays a pivotal role in the precise development of anther and pollen by supplying nutrients and signaling molecules to the microspores and controlling their release (Jung et al., 2005; Ariizumi&Toriyama, 2011). Numerous transcription factors have been reported to regulate the timely degradation of the tapetumand pollen development in rice (Jung et al., 2005; Li et al., 2006; Niu et al., 2013; Fu et al., 2014; Ko et al., 2014). However, the specific relationships among proteins in regulating anther development and their direct target are unclear. Recently, a study by Wang et al. (2025; doi: 10.1111/nph.20435) published in New Phytologist under the title'TIP2-UDT1-OsUPEX1/2 module regulates tapetum development and function in rice'reported that Tapetum Degeneration Retardation (TDR) INTERACTING PROTEIN (TIP2) can physically interact with Undeveloped Tapetum1 (UDT1). The TIP2–UDT1 complex activates the expression of OsUPEX1 and OsUPEX2, which encodes putative b-(1,3)-galactosyltransferases and is specifically expressed in the tapetum. These findings reveal the important roles of TIP2-UDT1- OsUPEX1/2 in tapetum development and pollen formation, providing significant insights into the molecular mechanism of the male rice reproductive development.