Production of fertile tobacco pollen from microspores in suspension culture and its storage for in situ pollination

Summary A simple procedure is described for the in vitro production of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) pollen from microspores isolated just before entering mitosis. During a 3-day culture period in a liquid medium containing pyrimidine nucleosides these microspores develop into young pollen grains to the stage of starch deposition. Pollen maturation and transition to dormancy is achieved during a further 2- to 3-day culture period in the same medium stepwise supplemented by a concentrated solution of sucrose and l-proline. Upon transfer of the pollen to a simple germination medium containing sucrose and boric acid, up to 40% of the grains were observed to produce relatively long tubes. The in vitro-matured pollen grains can be stored at-20° C either suspended in 1.17 M sucrose and 100 mM l-proline or separated from the medium on filter paper discs. The stored pollen germinated both in vitro and on the stigma, the pollen tubes grew through the style into the ovary and pollination produced up to 300 viable seeds per pod. The procedure is of interest for pollen developmental studies and various fields of pollen manipulation, such as in vitro pollen selection.