RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Unfolded protein-independent IRE1 activation contributes to multifaceted developmental processes in Arabidopsis JF Life Science Alliance JO Life Sci. Alliance FD Life Science Alliance LLC SP e201900459 DO 10.26508/lsa.201900459 VO 2 IS 5 A1 Kei-ichiro Mishiba A1 Yuji Iwata A1 Tomofumi Mochizuki A1 Atsushi Matsumura A1 Nanami Nishioka A1 Rikako Hirata A1 Nozomu Koizumi YR 2019 UL https://www.life-science-alliance.org/content/2/5/e201900459.abstract AB In Arabidopsis, the IRE1A and IRE1B double mutant (ire1a/b) is unable to activate cytoplasmic splicing of bZIP60 mRNA and regulated IRE1-dependent decay under ER stress, whereas the mutant does not exhibit severe developmental defects under normal conditions. In this study, we focused on the Arabidopsis IRE1C gene, whose product lacks a sensor domain. We found that the ire1a/b/c triple mutant is lethal, and heterozygous IRE1C (ire1c/+) mutation in the ire1a/b mutants resulted in growth defects and reduction of the number of pollen grains. Genetic analysis revealed that IRE1C is required for male gametophyte development in the ire1a/b mutant background. Expression of a mutant form of IRE1B that lacks the luminal sensor domain (ΔLD) complemented a developmental defect in the male gametophyte in ire1a/b/c haplotype. In vivo, the ΔLD protein was activated by glycerol treatment that increases the composition of saturated lipid and was able to activate regulated IRE1-dependent decay but not bZIP60 splicing. These observations suggest that IRE1 contributes to plant development, especially male gametogenesis, using an alternative activation mechanism that bypasses the unfolded protein-sensing luminal domain.