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The Causes of self-sterility in natural populations of the relictual angiosperm, Illicium floridanum (Illiciaceae).

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND AND AIMS:Illicium floridanum, a species belonging to the basal extant angiosperm taxon Illiciaceae, reportedly exhibits self-incompatibility (SI). To date, the site and timing of SI within the carpel of this species remains unidentified. Thus, the objective of this research was to determine the cellular and temporal aspects of SI in I. floridanum. METHODS:Following controlled application of cross- and self-pollen in natural populations of I. floridanum, embryo sac development and temporal aspects of stigma receptivity, as well as pollen tube growth, fertilization, and embryo and endosperm development, were investigated with the aid of light and fluorescence microscopy. KEY RESULTS:Flowers of I. floridanum exhibited complete dichogamy whereby stigmas only supported cross- and self-pollen tube growth prior to anther dehiscence. In contrast to earlier reports of SI in this species, a prezygotic SI resulting in rejection of self-pollen tube growth at the stigma was absent and there were no significant differences between cross- versus self-pollen germination and pollen tube growth within the style and ovary during the first 5 d after pollination. Structural development of the four-celled embryo sac was not differentially influenced by pollen type as noted to occur in other angiosperms with late-acting ovarian SI. The ovule micropyle and embryo sac were penetrated equally by cross- and self-pollen tubes. In addition, there were no statistically significant differences in cross- versus self-fertilization. A resting zygote and multicellular endosperm at a variety of developmental stages was present by 30 d after application of cross- or self-pollen. CONCLUSIONS:In the clear absence of a prezygotic SI that was previously reported to result in differential self-pollen tube growth at the stigma, self- sterility in I. floridanum is likely due to early-acting inbreeding depression, although late-acting post-zygotic ovarian SI cannot be ruled out.

SUBMITTER: Koehl V

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4242369 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The Causes of self-sterility in natural populations of the relictual angiosperm, Illicium floridanum (Illiciaceae).

Koehl Veronica V Thien Leonard B LB Heij Elizabeth G EG Sage Tammy L TL

Annals of botany 20040520 1

<h4>Background and aims</h4>Illicium floridanum, a species belonging to the basal extant angiosperm taxon Illiciaceae, reportedly exhibits self-incompatibility (SI). To date, the site and timing of SI within the carpel of this species remains unidentified. Thus, the objective of this research was to determine the cellular and temporal aspects of SI in I. floridanum.<h4>Methods</h4>Following controlled application of cross- and self-pollen in natural populations of I. floridanum, embryo sac devel ...[more]

PMID: 15155377

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Project description:BACKGROUND: The novel chimeric open reading frame (orf) resulting from the rearrangement of a mitochondrial genome is generally thought to be a causal factor in the occurrence of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS). Both positive and negative correlations have been found between CMS-associated orfs and the occurrence of CMS when CMS-associated orfs were expressed and targeted at mitochondria. Some orfs cause male sterility or semi-sterility, while some do not. Little is currently known about how mitochondrial factor regulates the expression of the nuclear genes involved in male sterility. The purpose of this study was to investigate the biological function of a candidate CMS-associated orf220 gene, newly isolated from cytoplasmic male-sterile stem mustard, and show how mitochondrial retrograde regulated nuclear gene expression is related to male sterility. RESULTS: It was shown that the ORF220 protein can be guided to the mitochondria using the mitochondrial-targeting sequence of the ? subunit of F1-ATPase (atp2-1). Transgenic stem mustard plants expressed the chimeric gene containing the orf220 gene and a mitochondrial-targeting sequence of the ? subunit of F1-ATPase (atp2-1). Transgenic plants were male-sterile, most being unable to produce pollen while some could only produce non-vigorous pollen. The transgenic stem mustard plants also showed aberrant floral development identical to that observed in the CMS stem mustard phenotype. Results obtained from oligooarray analysis showed that some genes related to mitochondrial energy metabolism were down-regulated, indicating a weakening of mitochondrial function in transgenic stem mustard. Some genes related to pollen development were shown to be down-regulated in transgenic stem mustard and the expression of some transcription factor genes was also altered. CONCLUSION: The work presented furthers our understanding of how the mitochondrially-targeted expression of CMS-associated orf220 gene causes male sterility through retrograde regulation of nuclear gene expression in Brassica juncea.

Dataset Information

The Causes of self-sterility in natural populations of the relictual angiosperm, Illicium floridanum (Illiciaceae).

Publications

The Causes of self-sterility in natural populations of the relictual angiosperm, Illicium floridanum (Illiciaceae).

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