Pollen grains of heat tolerant tomato cultivars retain higher carbohydrate concentration under heat stress conditions

Exposure to high temperatures (heat stress) causes reduced yield in tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum), mainly by affecting male gametophyte development. Two experiments were conducted where several tomato cultivars were grown under heat stress, in growth chambers (day/night temperatures of 31/25 °C) or in greenhouses (day/night temperatures of 32/26 °C), or under control (day/night temperatures of 28/22 °C) conditions. In heat-sensitive cultivars, heat stress caused a reduction in the number of pollen grains, impaired their viability and germinability, caused reduced fruit set and markedly reduced the numbers of seeds per fruit. In the heat-tolerant cultivars, however, the number and quality of pollen grains, the number of fruits and the number of seeds per fruit were less affected by high temperatures. In all the heat-sensitive cultivars, the heat-stress conditions caused a marked reduction in starch concentration in the developing pollen grains at 3 days before anthesis, and a parallel decrease in the total soluble sugar concentration in the mature pollen, whereas in the four heat-tolerant cultivars tested, starch accumulation at 3 days before anthesis and soluble sugar concentration at anthesis were not affected by heat stress. These results indicate that the carbohydrate content of developing and mature tomato pollen grains may be an important factor in determining pollen quality, and suggest that heat-tolerant cultivars have a mechanism for maintaining the appropriate carbohydrate content under heat stress.     

杏(Prunus armeniaca)自交不亲和强度及其授粉受精相关特性

为了解杏自交不亲和性强度与授粉受精相关特性的关系,以自交亲和(Self-compatibility:SC)品种凯特(Prunus armeniaca L．cv．Katy)和自交不亲和(Self-incompatibility:SI)品种新世纪(P.armeniaca L.cv．Xinshiji)及凯特×新世纪杂种群体为试材,荧光显微镜观察自交亲和与自交不亲和杏花粉管生长动态。结果表明,授粉后初期,自交亲和性与自交不亲和性的杏花粉都能正常萌发、生长,但是在花粉管生长延伸到花柱1／2以后,自交亲和性的花粉管能顺利进入子房,而自交不亲和性的花粉管多数顶端膨大呈球形,停止向下生长,只有极个别能正常生长到达子房;杂种后代的可溶性蛋白含量和RNA酶比活力,与亲本相比无明显的趋中变异表现,而且在自交亲和与自交不亲和杏之间无显著性差异。     

果梅花不同发育阶段花粉原位萌发及花粉管生长特性

为探明自花、异花花粉在果梅花的不同发育阶段原位萌发及生长的特性,以细叶青果梅为材料,取开花前6、4、2d、开花当天和花后2d的花(花蕾),分别于自花、异花授粉(莺宿)后12、24、48、72、96h切取花柱,用FAA固定液处理,荧光染色后压片观察。结果表明,自花花粉在柱头上的萌发率略低于异花(开花前4d存在显著差异),开花前6、4d极显著低于其他各阶段,花蕾越幼小花粉萌发越差,开花当天花粉萌发率超过80%;开花前4d之前的花柱内异花花粉管数量显著低于开花前2d及之后各期的,果梅开花前4d以前的花发育不充分;开花后2d生长到花柱基部的异花花粉管数量较多,属于有效授粉期。果梅在开花前4d开始具备抑制自花花粉管生长的能力,并且随着花的发育逐渐增强,开花当天最强,开花后开始减弱。果梅自交授粉期以开花前2～3d为宜。     

Comparison of S-RNase,RNase T1, T2, and A effects on growth inhibition and RNA degradation of in vitro-cultured pear pollen

To obtain the basic information on fruit set regulation, effects of several RNases including S-RNase on pollen tube growth and RNA degradation in the tube were studied in the pear. Purified S-RNase from the Japanese pear ‘Kosui’ (S₄S₅) predominantly inhibited the growth of ‘Kosui’ pollen tubes (self) in vitro at 0.28 unit μL⁻¹, but it inhibited ‘Chojuro’ (S₂S₃) pollen (cross) only slightly. The same unit of RNase T₁ (EC 3.1.27.3) clearly inhibited the pollen tube growth, but the action was significantly weaker than that of the S-RNase against the self-pollen. Inhibitory effect of RNase T₂ (EC 3.1.27.1) and RNase A (EC 3.1.27.5) was only slight. The proteins other than the S-RNase extracted from pear style did not have any inhibitory action, though they possessed RNase activity 3.8 times higher than S-RNase. Thus, RNases tested here could not substitute for the S-RNase in specific inhibition against the self-pollen tube growth. Total RNA degradation by each RNase occurred in the pollen tubes as following order; S-RNase (self) ≥T₁ > T₂ ≥ A > S-RNase (cross). Degradation degree of 28S and 18S rRNA was as follows; S-RNase (self) > A > T₁ > T₂ > S-RNase (cross). The degradation of 5.8S and 5S rRNA was; S-RNase (self) > S-RNase (cross) > A > T₂ > T_1. The degree of rRNA degradation was, thus, not always in parallel with the degree of pollen growth inhibition. The S-RNase may degrade not only rRNA but also mRNA essential for pollen tube growth, and may be specifically adapted to inhibit the growth of self-pollen tubes. Therefore, controlling S-RNase amount in the style will produce self-thinning cultivars efficiently, which are unnecessary not only for hand-pollination but fruit-thinning practices in the pear. Practically, cultivar with weak self-incompatibility and small amount of S-RNase, such as ‘Okusankichi’, may be an expecting candidate for breeding self-thinning cultivars.     

Li~+、肌醇与Ca~(2+)对苹果、梨、山楂花粉萌发和花粉管生长的影响

观测了苹果（金冠）、梨（鸭梨）、山植（面值）的花粉萌发和花粉管生长情况,结果表明,Li2SO4的浓度越高、处理时间越早,花粉萌发和花粉管生长的抑制程度越大,Ca2+和肌醇可不同程度地逆转上述效应。因此认为,细胞内一定量的肌醇和Ca2+是果树花粉萌发和花粉管生长所必需的,并对维持正常的肌醇磷脂代谢是至关重要的。     

外源多胺对苹果花粉管伸长及胚珠寿命的影响

研究了多胺对苹果花粉管伸长及胚珠寿命的影响。结果表明,多胺能促进花粉管伸长,延缓胚珠衰老;多胺浓度以１×１０－５ｍｏｌ／Ｌ较１×１０－３ｍｏｌ／Ｌ效果为好。     

Number of Pollen Grains in Rice Cultivars with Different Cool-Weather Resistance at the Young Microspore Stage

Abstract

The difference in the number of pollen grains may be the primary factor determining the resistance to cool weather at the young microspore stage in rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars. To confirm this hypothesis, we compared the number of pollen grains among the cultivars or lines with various cool-weather resistance. The cultivars or lines used in the experiments were mainly released or grown in the Tohoku district (the northern part of the mainland of Japan). The number of pollen grains showed high correlation with the degree of cool-weather resistance, but considerably varied with the cultivar or line, even in the group having the same cool-weather resistance. Each group with different cool-weather resistance was divided into two subgroups, implying the existence of another genetic factor determining the resistance. The number of pollen grains in the plants cooled at the young microspore stage showed higher correlation with the degree of the cool-weather resistance than that in the control plants without exposure to low temperature. The correlation between the pollen number and spikelet sterility was also analyzed using the data of Satake and Shibata (1992, Jpn. J. Crop Sci. 61 :454–462), who primarily used the cultivars in Hokkaido (the northernmost island of Japan). The results were basically the same as those obtained in the present experiments. These results confirmed the hypothesis that the variation in the number of pollen grains is a primary factor of the resistance to cool weather at the booting stage in the cultivars in the northern part of Japan. The results also suggested the existence of another genetic factor determining the resistance.     

A pollen extender medium technology for seedless watermelon production by pollination with soft X-ray irradiated pollen

The inactivation of pollen by soft X-ray irradiation and subsequent artificial pollination are time-intensive practices used in the production of seedless watermelons (Citrullus lanatus L.). Watermelon generally has a lot of staminate flowers; however, they only have a small amount of pollen. Watermelon pollen cannot be used in pollination under the present situation. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine which is the most effective pollen extender medium for cultivation of watermelon with soft X-ray irradiated pollen. In this experiment, ‘Agar,’ ‘Marriage powder,’ and ‘Sekishoshi’ (Lycopodium dyed red with safflower pigment) were used as extender media with soft X-ray irradiated pollen at equal or twice the weight of the pollen. When ‘Sekishoshi’ was used as an extender medium, fruit set was very low. A lot of deformed fruit was produced when agar was used with the pollen. On the other hand, when ‘Marriage powder’ was used in equal proportions with the pollen, fruit set was about 70% and, moreover, Brix was high. Thus, the mixture of ‘Marriage powder’ with an equal amount of pollen was the best for use in actual cultivation. We conclude, then, that soft X-ray irradiated pollen in an extender medium can be effectively adapted for producing seedless watermelons.     

贮藏条件对郁金香花粉生命力的影响

以花粉萌发率为指标,研究了6种贮藏条件对4个品种的郁金香花粉生命力的影响.结果表明:不同品种的郁金香花粉生命力不同.贮藏温度对郁金香花粉生命力有很大影响,-18℃ 冷冻条件有利于保持郁金香花粉生命力,0～2℃冷藏条件次之,20～25℃常温条件最差.贮藏湿度对郁金香花粉也有影响,在常温和冷藏条件下,干燥条件比非干燥条件更有利于郁金香花粉生命力的保持.     

6种枇杷属植物花粉形态扫描电镜观察

应用扫描电镜,对1个栽培品种(早钟6号),5个野生类型(椭圆枇杷、大渡河枇杷、栎叶枇杷、台湾枇杷、台湾枇杷恒春变型)的花粉进行了形态观察。结果表明,6种枇杷属植物的花粉粒均为长球形,具3条萌发沟,萌发沟以等间距环状分布,属于N3P4C5型花粉。6种枇杷属植物的花粉外壁属于条纹-穴状纹饰类型,外壁均具条嵴,嵴洼处散生有覆盖层穿孔,但条嵴及穿孔的形态和分布差异明显。最后,结合花粉形态的演化规律,对大渡河枇杷的系统学位置及枇杷属植物的起源与进化进行了讨论。