Tapetal behaviour, gene action and breeding value in male-sterile peas

Eight non-allelic male-sterile mutants controlled by a single recessive gene were induced in garden pea (Pisum sativum) after EMS, DES and gamma-ray-mutagen treatments singly and in combination. These mutants differ in the time and type of tapetal development due to differential action of male-sterile (ms) genes over the sporogenous and non-sporogenous anther tissue. In the msg1 mutant, the sporogenous tissue breaks down during premeiosis, followed by tapetal degeneration. In msg2, sporogenous tissue and tapetal tissue exhibit anomalies at early and late prophase 1, respectively. Although in msg3 and msg5 the ms gene action over sporogenous tissue initiates during early and late prophase, respectively, the tapetal tissue breaks down during post-meiosis. In msg6, anomalies in the sporogenous tissue appear during prophase II, but the tapetum degenerates during the mononucleate stage. Although both the tapetal and sporogenous tissue anomalies appear simultaneously at pachytene in msg4, the tapetal breakdown is delayed until the microspore stage. In msg7 and msg8, anomalies in both these tissues occur simultaneously during the tetrad and post-meiotic stages, respectively. Despite differences in the timing of tapetal and sporogenous tissue breakdown, tapetal development is normal in msg1, msg5, msg6, msg7 and nisg8 but abnormal in msg2, msg3 and msg4. The ms gene action is dual in msg2, msg3 and msg4 but single in msg1, msg5, msg6, msg7 and msg8. In all these mutants, the time of tapetal anomaly exhibits no correlation with the time of ms gene action. The gene for open flower found in one male-sterile mutant needs to be introduced into fertile peas for commercial hybrid-pea breeding.