Dicer-like 5 deficiency confers temperature-sensitive male sterility in maize

Abstract

Small RNAs act to regulate gene or transposon activity during plant development. Here, the authors show that maize Dicer-like 5 is required for 24-nt phased, secondary small interfering RNA production in anthers and that dicer-like 5 mutants show abnormal tapetal development and temperature-sensitive sterility.