Role of Sucrose in Microspore Embryo Production in Brassica napus ssp. oleifera

Dun well, J. M. and Thurling, N. 1985. Role of sucrose in microsporeembryo production in Brassica napus ssp. oleifera.—J.exp. Bot. 36: 1478–1491. One cultivar of winter oil seed rape (Brassica napus ssp. oleifera)and three cultivars of spring rape were used in a study of theeffects of sucrose on microspore survival and embryo inductionin cultured anthers. A preliminary study on the winter cultivar(Fiona) revealed that the osmotic pressure of the supernatantof anther homogenates was equivalent to a solution of 17% sucrose.A study of microspore survival and embryo induction in thiscultivar on media containing either 8 %, 12%, 16% or 20% sucroserevealed the highest survival (after 16 d) and the greatestnumber of anthers with induced embryos (after 42 d) occurredon the highest sucrose concentration. A subsequent study on three spring cultivars (Willi, Duplo andTower) examined microspore survival at 8 d and embryo induction(42 d) on media containing either 8 % or 16 % sucrose and againrevealed much higher survival and induction at the higher concentration.The variation in response between the cultivars was also reducedby culture at the higher sucrose concentration. The beneficialeffect of the 16% level occurred regardless of the growth environmentof the donor plants and of the stage of pollen development atthe start of culture. However, macroscopic embryos emerged onlyfrom anthers on the 8 % sucrose concentration, suggesting thattransfer of anthers from a high to a normal sucrose concentrationduring culture would ensure that full advantage was taken ofthe much higher initial survival on the higher concentration Key words: Brassica napus, sucrose, microspore embryo production     

Influence of Genotype, Plant Growth Temperature and Anther Incubation Temperature on Microspore Embryo Production in Brassica napus ssp. oleifera

Eleven F₁ hybrid genotypes of winter rape (Brassica napus ssp.oleifera) were used in a study of induction and growth of microspore-derivedembryos. Plants of each genotype were grown in controlled environmentsat either a constant 15°C or a constant 20°C, both witha 16 h photoperiod. Equal numbers of buds, approximately 2.5mm in length, containing uninucleate microspores were harvestedfrom each genotype and either pretreated (14 d at 4°C) ordissected immediately after harvest. Anthers were cultured onliquid medium based upon that of Murashige and Skoog (1962)and containing 8% sucrose, 0.5 mg dm^–3 naphthylaceticacid and 0.05 mg dm^–3 benzylaminopurine. Anthers fromequal samples of buds were incubated at 35°C for 0, 1, 2or 3 d before transfer to 30°C (21 d) and then 25°C.After a total of 42 d incubation, cultures were scored for thepresence of macroscopic embryos (1–2 mm in length) andfor the presence of anthers containing aborted embryoids whichhad not developed further. The results showed first that bud pretreatment completely inhibitedinduction and secondly that anthers of all genotypes had anabsolute requirement for a 35°C treatment (optimal duration2 d) in order to induce embryoid formation. In the great majorityof genotypes plants grown at 15°C provided more productiveanthers than plants grown at 20°C. However, within eachtreatment there were great differences both in the frequencyof anthers showing induced embryoids and of the final yieldof embryos. There was evidence that hybrids with a common parentresponded similarly under certain treatments. This confirmedthe importance of genotypic control for some components of embryoyield. Key words: Brassica napus, Rape, Anther culture, Pollen, Haploid     

秋水仙碱对甘蓝型油菜离体小孢子胚胎发生的影响

研究了秋水仙碱不同浓度和处理时间对甘蓝型油菜23个基因型离体小孢子胚胎发生的影响.3个基因型的小孢子被10、50和100mg/L秋水仙碱处理24h或48h,胚产量是2.55～14.75胚/蕾,10～50mg/L处理72h则是0.94～2.43胚/蕾.这表明处理72h对小孢子胚发生有抑制作用.用200、400、500和800mg/L处理2个基因型小孢子16～48h,胚产量为0.6～1.33胚/蕾,未处理对照是6.25和9.36胚/蕾.可见200～800mg/L浓度对胚再生有不同程度的阻碍效应.结果还证明,小孢子对秋水仙碱的反应与其基因型有关.当用10、20、50和100mg/L处理48h时,22B5-6和903-3小孢子的胚产量为37.09～69.47胚/蕾,而F1-29、W592和SF10-12是0.28～1.45胚/蕾,相互之间差异很大.秋水仙碱处理小孢子的目的是使其再生植株的染色体高频率加倍,因此应根据胚产量和染色体加倍率来确定秋水仙碱浓度和处理时间.本试验中,采用10～50mg/L处理48h或者用100mg/L处理24h,约80%基因型的小孢子胚产量在5胚/蕾以上,约70%基因型的再生植株加倍率达60%以上,可有效地用于油菜遗传和育种研究等领域.     

The Influence of Donor Plant Genotype and Environment on Production of Multicellular Microspores in Cultured Anthers of Brassica napus ssp. oleifera

Studies of the effects of genotype and pre-flowering environmentalconditions on the production of multicellular microspores wereundertaken th four highly inbred lines of Brassica napus sap.oleifera. These lines were first grown in shaded and unshadedenvironments at 20/15°C arid unshaded at 30/25°C ina daylight phytotron. Buds were harvested from half the plantswhen first visible in the rosette and later from the remainingplants at the time when the first flower opened. The frequencyof microspores at a specific stage of development varied widelywithin a relatively narrow range of bud lengths. Uninucleatemicrospores were not detected in anthers from buds less than1·5 m or greater than 3·0mm long, but were generallypresent in frequencies of greater than 50 per cent in anthersfrom buds which were between 2·0 and 2·5 mm inlength. However, the bud length at which the highest frequencyof uninucleate microspores was detected varied significantlybetween genotypes and between the environments in which theywere grown. Examination of the remaining anthers from each budafter a period in culture revealed that the proportion of microsporesdeveloping into multicellular units varied greatly with budlength, an increase in frequency of multicellular microsporesbeing associated with an increase in the frequency of uninucleatemicrospores in the uncultured anther. Genotypes differed, however,in respect of the relationship between uninucleate microsporefrequency and production of multicellular units. Although thefrequency of multicellular units was as high as 57 percent,further development was limited and the number of embryoldsformed was low in all cases (<10 per cent). The frequency of multicellular units in pollen samples frombuds of a length in which uninucleate microspore frequency washigh varied significantly with genotype, temperature and lightconditions under which donor plants were grown, and the stageof inflorescence development at which buds were removed. Underconditions most conducive to multicellular unit formation (20/15°C,unshaded), the maximum frequency of multicellular units foreach genotype in buds from young inflorescences ranged from11·5 to 56·5 per cent. Shading or exposure tothe higher temperature was associated with a marked reductionin production of multicellular units. Higher frequencies ofmulticellular units were generally detected in microspore samplesfrom younger inflorescences irrespective of genotype or environment. Two of the four inbred lines were selected for a second experimentin which responses to vernalization and photoperiod durationwere monitored. There was a significant reduction in the numberof leaf nodes formed prior to floral initiation in both genotypesfollowing exposure to vernalization and/or a longer photoperiod,the response to photoperiod being more pronounced. Exposureto 4 weeks vernalization was accompanied by a significant increasein the frequency of multicellular units in both genotypes, thefrequency being double that in unvernalized plants under thelonger photoperiod. By contrast, genotypes differed sharplyin their response to photoperiod. In TB 20, the frequency ofmulticellular units was unaffected by an increase in day lengthirrespective of whether seed had been vernalized or not. Onthe other hand, in TB 42 the frequency of multicellular unitswas substantially greater in the 24 h day than in the 12 h day,being 27·3 per cent vs 13·0 per cent in the caseof unvernalized plants and 66·7 per cent vs 18·2per cent in the case of vernalized plants. Brassica napus, anther culture, pollen embryogenesis, genotype-environment interaction     

Induction and Growth of 'Microspore-Derived' Embryos of Brassica napus ssp. oleifera

Three cultivars of spring rape (Brassica napus ssp. oleifera),Tower, Willi and Duplo, were used for a study of induction andgrowth of ‘microspore-derived’ embryos, Buds, 2.0mm in length, containing uninucleate microspores were harvestedand stored for 14 d at 4 ?C in darkness. Anthers were then removedand cultured on a liquid medium based upon that of Murashigeand Skoog and containing 8% sucrose, 0.5 mg l^–1 naphthylaceticacid and 0.05 mg l^–1 benzylaminopurine. Cultures werepre-incubated at 35 ?C for 0–3 d and then incubated at30 ?C. After a total of 42 d incubation, cultures were scoredfor the presence of macroscopic embryos (1–2 mm in length)and for the presence of anthers containing abortive embryoidswhich had not developed further. The cultivars differed greatly in terms both of the frequencyof anthers showing induced embryoids and of the final yieldof embryos. Tower showed the highest frequency of induction(maximum 38% of cultured anthers with induced embryoids) whereasthe highest yield (equivalent to 1.1 embryo per cultured anther)was obtained from anthers of the cv. Duplo after a 3 d treatmentat 35 ?C. Yields from the other cultivars were much lower andwere relatively unaffected by the 35 ?C treatment. Key words: Brassica napus, Rape, Anther culture, Pollen, Haploid     

Viruses infecting winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus ssp. oleifera)

Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) and cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) have been found infecting field crops of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus ssp. oleifera) in South Warwickshire. Other viruses found include broccoli necrotic yellows virus (BNYV) and a member of the beet western yellows virus group. Systemic leaf symptoms caused by TuMV varied within and between cultivars; the three predominant reaction types were classified as necrotic, mosaic and immune. Some recently introduced cultivars of oilseed rape were more severely affected by TuMV infection than older cultivars. Reactions to CaMV were less varied and immunity was not found. The seed yield from TuMV and CaMV-infected plants was less than that of healthy control plants. This effect was due to infected plants producing either fewer seeds, smaller seeds or both. Germination of seeds from infected plants was unaffected if sown soon after harvest. After storage for one year the germination of seed from a virus infected plant was significantly less than that of seed from a virus-free plant. All commercial cultivars tested were experimentally susceptible to turnip yellow mosaic virus (TYMV) and some American strains of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV).     

Microspore culture of swede (Brassica napus ssp. rapifera) and the effects of fresh and conditioned media

Microspore culture was successfully carried out with four cultivars of swede (Brassica napus ssp. rapifera). Embryo yields increased markedly if the culture medium was replaced by fresh medium after a culture period of three days, with more than 200% increase with the highly responding cultivar Gry and more than 800% with the poorly responding cultivar Stenhaug. If the medium was changed at a later time, embryo production declined sharply. Transfer of microspores after 3 days of culture to a medium in which microspores of a different cultivar had been cultured for 3 days had no effect on embryogenesis. Bud size had a large effect on embryo production, particularly with the least responsive cultivar, Stenhaug.     

甘蓝型油菜正季与反季材料小孢子的培养

本文以甘蓝型油菜Westar的F1代为供试材料,通过对8个正季和同样的8个反季材料进行小孢子培养对比实验。结果表明,相同材料(基因型)正季能获得胚状体的反季一样能获得胚状体,但是相同材料的出胚数反季要比正季少50%,并且出胚时间要晚5～8d。正季与反季材料的成苗百分率相同,平均达到93%,加倍率基本一样,达到80%。由此可见,用反季节材料培养小孢子同样能获得成功,对特殊材料可以利用此法进一步加速育种进程。     

Identification of an S-locus glycoprotein allele introgressed from B. napus ssp. rapifera to B. napus ssp. oleifera

Self-incompatible Brassica napus ssp. oleifera lines were generated by introgressing the S-locus from the self-incompatible B. napus ssp. rapifera Z line into the self-compatible cultivars, Topas and Regent, resulting in T2 and R2, respectively. Screening of a cDNA library made from R2 stigma RNA produced several candidate SLG (S-locus glycoprotein) cDNAs. One of the cDNAs, A14, was found to be represented in only the R2, T2 and Z lines. In addition, the corresponding A14 gene was demonstrated to segregate with the T2 self-incompatibility phenotype in an F2 population derived from a cross between T2 and Topas, and to exhibit high mRNA levels in the stigmas prior to anthesis. Sequence analysis of the A14 cDNA revealed close homology to B. oleracea SLG alleles associated with a Class I high activity self-incompatibility phenotype.     

Isolation of the epithiospecifier protein from oil-rape (Brassica napus ssp. oleifera) seed and its characterization

The epithiospecifier protein (ESP) is a myrosinase (MYR) cofactor, which is necessary to drive the MYR-catalyzed hydrolysis of some specific glucosinolates towards the production of cyanoepithioalkanes instead of isothiocyanates and nitriles. ESP was isolated from Brassica napus seeds by anionic exchange and gel filtration chromatography. ESP showed a molecular weight of about 39 kDa and pI 5.3. The amino acid sequence of several tryptic peptides of ESP (accounting for about 50% of the total sequence) made it possible to establish the high similarity (81% identity) with a hypothetical 37 kDa protein (TrEMBL data base accession number Q39104) and several jasmonate-inducible proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana. This observation suggests that ESP is likely to be involved in jasmonate-mediated defence and disease resistance mechanisms.     

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of greenhouse-grown Brassica rapa ssp. oleifera

Greenhouse-grown plants of turnip rape Brassica rapa ssp. oleifera (syn. B. campestris) cv. Valtti and Sisu were transformed by Agrobacterium tumefaciens infection. Of the three A. tumefaciens strains tested (C58C1, EHA105 and LBA4404), LBA4404 gave the best results. Segments excised from one to two upper internodes of an inflorescence-carrying stem served as explants for the Agrobacterium infection. Cultivation of the explants horizontally during the first 3 days of co-cultivation with A. tumefaciens following immediate selection of transformed tissue of the stem segments placed vertically basal side down were critical. Use of silver nitrate (5–10 mg/l) in the culture medium and Micropore (3 M) paper tape for sealing plates was also beneficial. Transgenic shoots were recovered using either hygromycin or kanamycin (20–25 mg/l) selection. Hygromycin was preferable, as the proportion of `escapes' was 90% under kanamycin and 10% under hygromycin selection. Regeneration was achieved by culturing the explants for 3–6 days on 0.5 mg/l of 2,4-di-chlorophenoxyacetic acid and 1–2 weeks on 2–3 mg/l of 6-benzyl aminopurine with/without 0.05 mg/l α-naphthaleneacetic acid. Recovered shoots were then cultured on hormone-free MS medium. This culture program gave 60–80% shoot regeneration. Regenerants were tested by histological β-glucuronidase staining and Southern blotting. The recovery rate of transgenic shoots was 4–9% of the number of explants used in the experiments. Received: 28 November 1997 / Revision received: 25 March 1998 / Accepted: 22 November 1998     

Microspore Culture of Hybrids Between Brassica napus and B. campestris

Embryos and regenerated plants were produced by isolated microspore culture of inter-specific hybrids between Brassica napus and B. campestris. The NLN media with different sucrose concentrations and pH values were tested and a protocol for optimal microspore culture of B. carnpestris was identified. The reciprocal hybrids between UM921 (B. campestris) and 911186 (B. napus) had significant higher embryo yield than other cultured hybrids. Obvious improvement of embryo yield and quality was achieved when hybrid plants of reciprocal UM921 × 911186 were grown under 10 ℃/5 ℃ (day/night) condition. There was significant correlation between embryo yield and seeds per pod on hybrid plants but no correlation between pollen fertility and embryo yield was detected among cultured.hybrids. The majority of microspore-derived plants from the reciprocal B. napus × B. campestris hybrids are aneuploids and 22.8% of the plants observed originated from the microspores with parent′s chromosome numbers, almost all n = 19. The factors affecting the embryogenesis in microspore culture of interspecific hybrids and the possible applications of the technique are discussed.     

Identification of an S-locus glycoprotein allele introgressed from B. napus ssp. rapifera to B. napus ssp. oleifera.

We have previously described a developmentally regulated mRNA in maize that accumulates in mature embryos and is involved in a variety of stress responses in the plant. The sequence of the encoded 16 kDa protein (MA16) predicts that it is an RNA-binding protein, since it possesses a ribonucleoprotein consensus sequence-type RNA-binding domain (CS-RBD). To assess the predicted RNA binding property of the protein and as a starting point to characterize its function we have used ribohomopolymer-binding assays. Here we show that the MA16-encoded protein binds preferentially to uridine- and guanosine-rich RNAs. In light of these results a likely role for this protein in RNA metabolism during late embryogenesis and in the stress response is discussed.     

Improvement of seed bio-priming of oilseed rape (Brassica napus ssp. oleifera) with Serratia plymuthica and Pseudomonas chlororaphis

Seed bio-priming of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) with the antagonistic rhizobacteria Serratia plymuthica and Pseudomonas chlororaphis was improved. With the imbibition of water, bacteria are transported into the seed where they survive better. To obtain a minimum bacterial density in the seed of log₁₀ 5 colony-forming-units (CFUs) seed^?1, the bacterial density in the bio-priming suspension should be >log₁₀ 9 CFUs mL^–1 for S. plymuthica and >log₁₀ 8 CFUs mL^–1 for P. chlororaphis. Priming duration was reduced from 12 to 2 h for S. plymuthica and 4 h for P. chlororaphis. Among other priming solutions tested, the addition of MgSO₄ best supported establishment in the seeds and also improved germination. The optimal bio-priming temperature for S. plymuthica is 28°C and for P. chlororaphis 22°C. Survival of the bacteria inside the seeds was moderately improved by storage at low temperature but considerably prolonged by storage under anaerobic conditions. P. chlororaphis survived significantly longer than S. plymuthica.     

Drought-Induced Changes in Protein Patterns of Brassica napus var. oleifera Roots

Drought-induced changes in two-dimensional silver stained protein patterns of Brassica napus L. var. oleifera M. root system were detected both at quantitative and qualitative levels. Particularly, 13 new polypeptides of low molecular weight were evidenced in the drought-stressed tap root, 12 of which were also present in the short tuberized roots, a specific drought-induced root type. The reversibility of these modifications, observed after 3 days rehydration, suggests that they might be involved in drought tolerance.     

Studies on beet western yellows virus in oilseed rape (Brassica napus ssp. oleifera) and sugar beet (Beta vulgaris)

Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L. ssp. oleifera) was studied as a potential overwintering host for the sugar-beet yellowing viruses, beet yellows virus (BYV) and beet mild yellowing virus (BMYV), and their principal vector, Myzus persicae. In spring 1982, plants infected with a virus which reacted positively in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with BMYV antibody globulin were found in oilseed-rape crops; none of the plants contained virus which reacted with BYV antibody globulin. This virus was subsequently identified as beet western yellows virus (BWYV). No leaf symptoms could be consistently associated with infection of oilseed rape, but the virus was reliably detected by sampling any leaf on an infected oilseed-rape plant. Some isolates from oilseed rape did infect sugar beet in glasshouse tests, but the proportions of inoculated plants which became infected were low. Apparently there is therefore little danger of much direct transmission of BWYV by M. persicae from oilseed rape to sugar beet in spring. BWYV was introduced to and spread within oilseed-rape crops in autumn by M. persicae, and autumn-sown oilseed rape proved to be a potentially important overwintering host for M. persicae. In a survey of 80 autumn-sown crops of oilseed rape in East Anglia, northern England and Scotland in spring 1983, 78 were shown to be extensively infected with BWYV. Experimental plots of oilseed rape with 100% BWYV-infection yielded approximately 13.4% less oil than plots with 18% virus infection, the result of a decrease in both seed yield and oil content.