Gametophyte–Sporophyte Interactions in the Pollen–Pistil System: 4. The Hormonal Status and the Mechanism of Self-Incompatibility

Following 4 and 8 h after self-incompatible pollination of Petunia hybrida plants, ethylene evolution and the contents of IAA, ABA, and cytokinins were measured in pistils and their parts (stigma, style, and ovary). The germination and initial growth of pollen tubes within the initial 4 h of the experiment were accompanied with an almost tenfold increase of the rate of ethylene production by the stigma and a twofold increase of the ABA content in the stigma and style. The inhibition of pollen tube growth in the style tissues during next 4 h coincided with a fivefold increase in the cytokinin content in the style, while high ABA content was maintained in the stigma and style. The authors conclude that phytohormones participate in the mechanism of gametophyte self-incompatibility.     

甜樱桃(Prunus avium L.)品种S基因型鉴定

根据蔷薇科S-RNase基因(S基因)高度保守区C2和RC4区设计一对特异引物PruC2和PruC4R,对甜樱桃品种的基因组DNA进行S基因特异PCR扩增。克隆S基因的扩增片段,核酸序列在GenBank上搜索,确定了4种S基因的核酸序列和大小。结果表明,在琼脂糖凝胶上位置相同的扩增带其核酸序列相同,是同一种S基因。4种S基因扩增片段的大小分别是：S1为677bp,S3为762bp,S4为945bp,S6为456bp。参试的自交不亲和品种的S基因型分别是：红灯、红艳、早红宝石和先锋相同,为S1S3;抉择、红丰和那翁相同,为S3S4;大紫为S1S6;长把红为S1S4;养老为S2S6;自交亲和品种外引7号和斯太拉为S3S4。     

S-alleles are retained and expressed in a self-compatible cultivar of Petunia hybrida.

Summary We identified two S-allele-associated proteins (S-proteins) in a self-compatible cultivar of Petunia hybrida based on their segregation in F₁ hybrids between P. hybrida and its self-incompatible relative, Petunia inflata (with S₂S₂ genotype), and in selfed progeny of P. hybrida. These two S-proteins, designated S_x-protein (24 kDa) and S_o- protein (31 kDa), are pistil specific, and their expression follows a temporal and spatial pattern similar to that of S-proteins characterized in self-incompatible solanaceous species. Their amino-terminal sequences also share a high degree of similarity with those of solanaceous S-proteins. Selfing of P. hybrida yielded plants with S_oS_o, SxSo, and S_xS_x genotypes in an approximately 1:2:1 ratio, indicating that the S_x- and S_o-alleles, though expressed in the pistil, failed to elicit a self-incompatibility response. The S₂-allele of P. inflata is expressed in all the F₁ hybrids, rendering them capable of rejecting pollen bearing the S₂-allele. The S_o-allele is not functional in the F1 hybrids, because all the F₁ progeny with S₂S_o genotype are self-compatible. However, in F₁ hybrids with S₂S_x genotype, approximately half are self-incompatible and half are self-compatible, indicating that the function of the S_x-allele depends on the genetic background. These results strongly suggest that the presence of functional S-alleles alone is not sufficient for expression of a self-incompatibility phenotype, and reaffirm the multigenic nature of gametophytic self-incompatibility suggested by earlier genetic studies.     

Tumor Transformation of Petunia hybrida via Pollen Co-Cultured with Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Pollen preparations usually show a high nuclease activity. Therefore, to avoid DNA degradation, co-cultures of pollen and Agrobacterium tumefaciens were evaluated as a new tool in gene transfer experiments. As a model system, Petunia pollen was co-cultured with an A. tumefaciens wild strain. The co-cultured pollen was used for pollination of Petunia flowers. The seeds obtained were germinated and one cotyledon per seedling was removed and put stalk upwards on nutrient agar. In 80% of the cotyledons a callus developed from the cut surface of the stalks which was screened for tumor transformation on hormone-free medium. In repeated subculturing some calli maintained growth on hormone-free medium. Two of these calli were habituated. One callus, the best growing one, showed on Southern blot analysis a distinct hybridization signal at 3.2 kb when probed with Hind III fragment 22 DNA, covering two genes responsible for hormone free growth. This is the exact size that could be expected when plant material has been transformed with T-DNA. Another callus gave a hybridization signal at 2 kb which could only be explained with chromosomal rearrangement. In these two calli there was no co-transformation of the nos-gene: nopaline synthase activity could be detected from none of the calli, and none of the calli DNAs hybridized when probed with the nos-gene. Bacterial contamination could be excluded by probing the DNAs with virfragments.     

显花植物自体和异体花粉识别的分子机理研究(英文)

显花植物的受精涉及许多识别过程;其中第一个是雌性生殖组织心皮对花粉的识别。自交不亲和性（Ｓｅｌｆ－ｉｎｃｏｍｐａｔｉｂｉｌｉｔｙ,ＳＩ）是一种广泛分布于显花植物的种内生殖障碍。在多数自交不亲和的植物中,ＳＩ的遗传控制比较简单,受控于一个由复等位基因构成的单一位点,称为Ｓ位点。在以茄科、玄参科和蔷薇科为代表的配子体自交不亲和植物中,Ｓ位点编码一类核酸酶,即Ｓ核酸酶（Ｆｉｇ．１）,控制ＳＩ在花柱中的表达,但是与花粉自交不亲和性的表达无关。后者可能由与Ｓ核酸酶不同的基因控制,这种基因常被称为花粉Ｓ基因。它是目前了解显花植物花粉识别生化和分子机理的关键。近来;通过对影响花粉ＳＩ表达突变体的分子遗传分析提出了一个花粉Ｓ基因产物如何与Ｓ核酸酶相互作用完成自体和异体花粉识别过程的模型（Ｆｉｇ．２）。另外,描述了两个在金鱼草中克隆花粉Ｓ基因的方法,即Ｓ位点选择性的转座子标记和图位克隆。     

Identification of a S-ribonuclease-binding protein in Petunia hybrida

To investigate protein-protein interactions in gametophytic self-incompatibility, we used a yeast two-hybrid assay to identify proteins that could interact with the S-ribonuclease protein. These assays identified a pollen-expressed protein, which we have named PhSBP1, that appears to bind with a high degree of specificity to the Petunia hybrida S-ribonuclease. Although PhSBP1 activates reporter gene expression only when expressed in tandem with a S-RNAse bait protein, binding is not allele-specific. Sequence analysis demonstrated that PhSBP1 contained a C-terminal cysteine-rich region that includes a RING-HC domain. Because many RING-finger domain proteins appear to function as E3 ubiquitin ligases, our results suggest that ubiquitination and protein degradation may play a role in regulating self-incompatibility interactions. Together, these results suggest that PhSBP1 may be a candidate for the recently proposed general inhibitor (RI) of self-incompatibility ribonucleases.     

Gametophyte–Sporophyte Interactions in the Pollen–Pistil System: 3. Hormonal Status at the Progamic Phase of Fertilization

The content of hormones, IAA, ABA, and cytokinins, as well as the rate of ethylene production in petunia (Petunia hybrida L.) pistils and their parts (stigma, style, and ovary) were determined over 8 h after compatible pollination. At the progamic phase of fertilization in the pollen–pistil system, the phytohormones were virtually absent from the ovary but were present in various proportions in stigma and style. The stigma was the main site of ethylene synthesis and contained 90% of ABA while the style contained 80% of cytokinins of their contents in the whole pollinated pistil. Stigma and style did not differ in their IAA levels. The interaction of the male gametophyte with the stigmatic tissues was accompanied by a threefold increase in the ethylene production and a 1.5-fold increase in the IAA content in the pollen–pistil system within 0–4 h. Growth of pollen tubes in the stylar tissues (4–8 h) was accompanied by a further increase in IAA content and a decrease in the ethylene production by stigmatic tissues, as well as by a decrease in the cytokinin content in the stylar tissues. The ethylene/auxin status of the stigma may be suggested to control the processes of adhesion, hydration, and germination of pollen grains during pollination, while the auxin/cytokinin status of the style controls the pollen tube growth.     

G蛋白调节剂和花柱S-核糖核酸酶对花粉管生长及其钙离子浓度的影响

以‘丰水’和‘幸水’梨花柱及花粉为试材,用激光共聚焦显微技术,研究了离体条件下G蛋白活性调节剂和花柱S-RNA酶对花粉管生长及其游离Ca~(2 )浓度的影响。结果表明:G蛋白激活剂CTX可促进花粉管生长,且可解除花柱S-RNA酶对自身花粉管生长的抑制作用;G蛋白抑制荆PTX和花柱S-RNA酶共同处理使异体的花粉管生长受到抑制。CTX处理使花粉管尖端区的[Ca~(2 )]_i明显升高,花柱S-RNA酶处理引起自身花粉管尖端区的[Ca~(2 )]_i梯度消失;CTX和花柱S-RNA酶共同处理则使自身花粉管内的[Ca~(2 )J_i表现出两者单独处理时的综合特征;而花柱S-RNA酶和PTX共同处理后,异体的花粉管内[Ca~(2 )]_i表现出先升高后下降的趋势。     

Inhibition of ethylene-induced cellular senescence symptoms by 1-methylcyclopropene, a new inhibitor of ethylene action

Ethylene is known to accelerate flower senescence, but the sequence of events that links its interaction with the tissue and the final senescence symptoms is still obscure. Recently, 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) was found to inhibit ethylene-induced wilting in flowers. This work was carried out in order to investigate the effects of 1-MCP on cellular senescence symptoms in petunia flowers following expossure to ethylene. Cut petunia ( Petunia hybrida ) flowers that were exposed to ethylene for 12 h at concentrations of 1–12 ppm wilted sooner than their untreated counterparts. This effect was abolished by a 6-h pre-treatment with 1-MCP. Immediately following the ethylene treatment, decreases in petal fresh weight and total protein content were measured, along with higher electrolyte leakage, and lower membrane lipid fluidity and protein content. When applied alone, 1-MCP had relatively little impact on these parameters. However, when the flowers were treated with 1-MCP prior to the ethylene treatment, ethylene had no effect. These results indicate that while ethylenes effects on wilting were obvious 3 days after the treatment, cellular parameters were affected already at the end of the treatment. Since 1-MCP repressed these early ethylene effects, it was concluded that it interferes with ethylene action in petunia flowers at a rather early stage, long before apparent wilting.     

中国梨2个自交不亲和新等位基因(S等位基因)的分子鉴定

自交不亲和是显花植物的一种重要生殖生理现象,为探明中国梨的自交不亲和特性,对‘锦香’(Pyrus bretschneideri cv. Jinxiang)和‘鹅酥’(Pyrus bretschneideri cv. Esu)2个中国梨品种进行了基因组PCR特异扩增、S基因序列分析及田间杂交授粉试验。结果确定它们各含1个新S-RNA酶基因,分别命名为S37-和S38-RNase,GenBank序列号为DQ839238和DQ839239。生物信息学分析结果表明,S37-和S38-RNA酶的推导氨基酸序列与S1-至S36-RNA酶36个梨S基因具有相同的、高度保守的C1和C2区,但其高变区与S1-至S36-RNA酶差异较大,其中与S15的差异最小,只有3个氨基酸不同。在推导的氨基酸水平上,S37与S38有96%的序列相似性,但两者与S15的相似性更高,皆为98%,与S32的相似性最低,都只有63%;S37和S38的内含子较大,分别为786bp和723bp,与S15的777bp大小接近。最后,经分析验证确定‘锦香’和‘鹅酥’的S基因型分别为S34S37和S15S38。     

Molecular Determinants and Mechanisms of Gametophytic Self-Incompatibility in Fruit Trees of Rosaceae

Self-incompatibility is an important genetic mechanism that prevents inbreeding and promotes genetic polymorphism and heterosis in flowering plants. Many fruit species in the Rosaceae, including apple, pear, plum, apricot, sweet cherry, Japanese apricot, and almond, exhibit typical gametophytic self-incompatibility (GSI) controlled by an apparently single multi-allelic locus. This locus encodes at least two components from both the pollen and the pistil, and controls recognition of self- and non-self pollen. Recently, the GSI system has been investigated at the molecular and cellular levels in Rosaceae, and findings have provided some important insights as to how these two genes interact within pollen tubes that lead to specific inhibition of germination and/or growth of self-pollen tubes. In this review, molecular features of S-determinants of both pistil and pollen, identification of S-alleles, mechanisms of self-incompatibility break-down, and evolution of S-alleles are presented. Moreover, hypothetical signal transduction models in a self-incompatible system in Rosaceae are proposed based on recent findings that indicate that several signal factors are involved in GSI responses.     

Uptake and metabolism of flavonols during in-vitro germination of Petunia hybrida (L.) pollen

Flavonol-deficient petunia pollen [conditionally male fertile (CMF) pollen] is unable to germinate but application of nanomolar concentrations of flavonol aglycones completely restores function (Mo et al. 1992). In this study a chemically synthesized radioactive flavonol, [4′-O-¹⁴C]kaempferide, was used as a model compound to study the metabolism of flavonols during the first few hours of pollen germination. [4′-O-¹⁴C] Kaempferide was as efficient at inducing CMF pollen germination as kaempferol and quercetin, the aglycone form of the endogenous flavonols in petunia pollen. Analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of extracts from both in-vitro-germinated pollen and the germination medium showed that more than 95% of the applied radioactivity was recovered as three kaempferide 3-O-glycosides and unmetabolized kaempferide; no flavonol catabolites were detected. Only HPLC fractions that contained the aglycone, or produced it upon acid hydrolysis, could induce CMF pollen germination in vitro. Structurally diverse flavonols could be classified according to how efficiently the aglycone was internalized and glycosylated during pollen germination. The ability of an individual flavonol to restore germination correlated with the total uptake of flavonols but not with the amount of glycoside formed in the pollen. Thus this study reinforces the conclusion that flavonol aglycones are the active compound for inducing pollen germination. Received: 4 November 1996/Accepted: 4 December 1996