Studies in Garcinia, dioecious tropical forest trees: the phenology, pollination biology and fertilization of G. hombroniana Pierre

RICHARDS, A. J., 1990. Studies in Garcinia , dioecious tropical forest trees: the phenology, pollination biology and fertilization of G. hombroniana Pierre . Garcinia hombroniana is a facultative agamosperm which is pollinated by Trigona bees. Nectar is restricted to the large discoid stigma (or pistillode in male flowers), which also captures and hydrates pollen. The 'wet' stigma and binucleate pollen suggest that Garcinia arose from hermaphrodite plants with a gametophytic self-incompatibility system.
On stigmas, nectar is secreted early on three or four successive days. On male pistillodes, nectar is secreted when anthers dehisce, on the second morning after anthesis. Pollen is most viable when freshly collected, but some viability remains four days after collection. Pollen germinates within 24 h of hydration. Similar results to pollinations are obtained by germinating pollen in 1 % sucrose.
Garcinia hombroniana flowers principally from January to June. Cultivated females are considered as 'big bang' strategists. Male flowers are considered as 'steady state' strategists.     

Apomixis in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eulaliopsis binata</Emphasis>: characterization of reproductive mode and endosperm development

Apomixis represents an alteration of classical sexual plant reproduction to produce seeds with essentially clonal embryos, stimulating wide interest from biologists and plant breeders for its ability to fix heterosis. Eulaliopsis binata (Poaceae), is identified here as a new apomictic species. Embryological investigation indicates that the developmental pattern of embryo sac formation in E. binata represents gametophytic apospory, the embryo originating from an unreduced cell, without fertilization and the mode of endosperm development was autonomous. Sexual embryo sacs were found with a frequency of 1–4% depending on the biotype. The DNA content of nuclei (C-value) in mature seeds was screened by flow cytometry (FCSS) and demonstrated that the endosperm was derived autonomously without fertilization and the three biotypes of E. binata showed varying degrees of apomixis. The Wide-leaf type showed obligate apomixis whereas the Slender-leaf and the Red-haulm type displayed facultative apomixis. In addition, adventitious embryos were observed on the wall of ovary, integument and nucellus cells, indicating that E. binata produces embryos via a mixture of apospory and adventitious embryony.     

Pollen development in male sterile mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) and male fertile seashore mangosteen (Garcinia celebica L.)

Protoplasma - Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) is an economically important tropical fruit, yet the reproductive biology of this dioecious plant is complex. Male trees are not known, and female...     

BRIEF COMMUNICATION Geographic parthenogenesis in a tropical forest tree

As evidenced by embryological studies, certain tropical tree species can reproduce asexually via seed; however, it has generally been assumed that such apomictic reproduction is facultative. Here I report the existence of a population of the lowland Malaysian rain forest tree Garcinia scortechinii King that consists entirely of pistillate individuals (40 female trees and no male trees recorded within a 25-ha area). This constitutes the first documented observation of a geographically segregated, obligately asexual population among wild tropical trees. Six additional Garcinia species showed a trend toward female bias relative to other dioecious tree species studied, an observation that is consistent with facultative apomixis. The more surprising result for G. scortechinii runs counter to the generalization that obligate apomicts occur only in environments in which the absence of competitors might enable persistence of taxa that lack genetic recombination through mixis.     

Reproductive patterns of selected understorey trees in the Malaysian rain forest: the apomictic species

HA, C. O., SANDS, V. E., SOEPADMO, E. & JONG, K., 1988. Reproductive patterns of selected understorey trees in the Malaysian raia forest: the apomictic species. Garcinia is the predominant representative of the Clusiaceae in the understorey of the lowland rain forest of Peninsular Malaysia. In Pasoh Forest Reserve the dioecious species G. paruifolia was investigated since no male trees, but only trees with structurally hermaphodite flowers which later set fruit, were found there. Pollination and embryological studies indicated a condition of non-pseudogamous agamospermy, with no viable pollen grains being formed in the staminodes, and the unfertilized egg cell giving rise to the embryo. Supportive studies were made of microspore development in G. forbesi , and of embryogenesis and seed development in G. malaccensis and G. scortechinii which also appear to be agamospermous. The role of either facultative or obligate apomixis in gene fixation in these dioecious species is discussed, and the possible adaptive significance of reproductive versatility among certain rain forest trees is examined.     

THE LEVEL OF AGAMOSPERMY IN A NEBRASKA POPULATION OF SPIRANTHES CERNUA (ORCHIDACEAE)

This study investigated reproduction in a prairie population of Spiranthes cernua in eastern Nebraska. Spiranthes cernua reproduces both sexually and asexually, through adventitious embryony. Agamospermous seeds are monoembryonic, polyembryonic, have extruded or free embryos, or lack embryos. These kinds of seeds are extremely rare in Spiranthes vernalis, a close relative that relies exclusively on sexual reproduction. Sexually derived seeds are monoembryonic or lack embryos. One objective was to quantify the amount of sexual reproduction in a natural population. In 1985 and 1986, maximum estimates of sexual seed production per capsule were 19.2% and 33.6%, respectively. Thus, every capsule examined contained a high proportion of agamospermous seeds. In addition, attempts were made to manipulate the reproductive system with experimental crosses performed in the field. The treatments examined agamospermy, autogamy, and outcrossing. In all treatments the majority of seeds in a capsule were agamospermous.     

In vitro culture of ovules ofTriticum aestivum at early stages of embryogenesis

Because most of the intergenericGramineae embryos abort before they can be isolated and cultured, our object was to grow ovules at an early stage of embryogenesis. Ovules were at size 1 to 7 mm. The youngest stages represented ovules containing several-celled proembryos; the oldest stage consisted of embryos at the level of differentiation of the organs. 1357 ovules were jointly inoculated in 12 different media of which only 3 appeared to be most suitable for the growth and differentiation of globular proembryos. From several-celled proembryos (ovules at the size of 1.5 – 2.5 mm) only compact calluses developed. The capability of proembryos to differentiate and to form fully developed embryos and consequently plants started when the ovules were inoculated at the size of 2.5 – 3.0 mm. Since the medium plays an important role in the process of differentiation of proembryos, the application of similar culture conditions is suggested for the in vitro culture of haploid or hybrid proembryos obtained among wide crosses inGramineae.List of abbreviations COC Coconut milk - BAP 6-benzylaminopurine - YE Yeast extract - CH Casein hydrolysate - KT Kinetin - ZT Zeatin     

无融合生殖与柑橘多胚现象的研究进展

植物无融合生殖是指植物的胚珠组织不经历正常的减数分裂和受精作用,而直接进行胚发育形成种子的无性生殖方式。无融合生殖植物完全继承了母体的全部基因型,因而具有独特研究与育种意义。芸香科柑橘属植物具有独特的多胚现象,其珠心组织能够发育成不定胚(称为珠心胚)进行无融合生殖。文中介绍了柑橘类植物的珠心胚生殖现象、细胞学和遗传学研究进展。珠心胚现象虽然对柑橘杂交后代获得有较大影响,但在生产上可产生性状整齐一致的后代,可以培育无病毒苗木。     

Improving cotton embryo culture by simulating <Emphasis Type="Italic">in ovulo</Emphasis> nutrient and hormone levels

Plant ovules provide zygotes with a physicochemical environment that supports embryo differentiation, growth, and maturation. The exact nature of this embryogenesis-enabling environment is not well characterized, as evidenced by failed attempts to induce normal embryony from zygotes or proembryos (precotyledonary) on defined media. To identify factors required for cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) zygotic embryony in vitro, we previously performed chemical and dissolved oxygen tension analyses of cotton ovule fluids and tissues at multiple stages of embryony in situ. Based on these analyses, we report herein the development of procedures that normalize embryo differentiation, growth, maturation, and germination in vitro, starting with proembryos. Our medium differed from Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium as follows (percentage of MS): N (30%, mostly from ten amino acids), P (815%), K (237%), Mg (85%), Ca (267%), S (506%), Fe (88%), and myoinositol (883%). Levels of other MS nutrients and vitamins, except sucrose, were kept at MS levels. Additionally, we included 100 mg L⁻¹ casein hydrolysate plus the following (mmol L⁻¹): d-glucose (1.8), fructose (4.7), sucrose (62.0), arabinose (7.1), melibiose (3.5), malic acid (11.6), and citric acid (3.8). Mannitol was added to achieve a medium osmotic potential of −1.10 MPa, and an atmospheric O₂ tension of 3.3 mol m⁻³ at the surface of embryos was maintained during culture. When cultured on medium containing 8.0 μmol L⁻¹ indole-3-acetic acid, 80–90% of proembryos (as small as 100 cells) of cultivars HS-26 and B-27 increased four- to eightfold in surface area during the first 18 d in culture and germinated thereafter to produce viable plants. Increases in surface area of proembryos cultured on a modified MS medium previously used for somatic embryogenesis were from 0.2- to 0.6-fold. The described embryo culture medium should be useful for studying nutritional and molecular aspects of early embryony and possibly for plant zygote transformation protocols.     

Localization of arabinogalactan proteins in egg cells, zygotes, and two-celled proembryos and effects of beta-D-glucosyl Yariv reagent on egg cell fertilization and zygote division in Nicotiana tabacum L

Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) have been implicated in a variety of plant development processes including sexual plant reproduction. As a crucial developmental event, plant sexual reproduction generally occurs inside an ovule embedded in an ovary. The inaccessibility of the egg cells, zygotes, and embryos has hindered our understanding of the importance of AGPs in the early events involving fertilization, zygotic division, and early embryogenesis. In this study, the well-established in vitro zygote and ovary culture systems, together with immunofluorescence and immunogold labelling techniques, were employed to investigate the role of AGPs in the early events of sexual reproduction in Nicotiana tabacum. Dramatic changes in AGP content during ovule development were evidenced by western blotting. Subcellular localization revealed that AGPs are localized in the plasma membrane, cell wall, and cytoplasm of pre- and post-fertilized egg cells, and cytoplasm and vacuoles of two-celled proembryos. Abundant AGPs were detected in unfertilized egg cells; however, the level of AGPs substantially decreased in fertilized egg cells. Polar distribution of AGPs in elongated zygotes was observed. The early two-celled proembryos just from zygote division displayed accumulation of AGPs at a low level, while in the elongated two-celled proembryos at the late stage, the AGP content clearly increased. Provision of betaGlcY, a synthetic phenylglycoside that specifically binds AGPs, to the in vitro cultures of isolated zygote and fertilized ovaries increased abnormal symmetrical division of zygotes. In the culture of pollinated but unfertilized ovaries, addition of betaGlcY resulted in arrest of fertilization of the egg cells, but had no effect on fertilization of the central cells. The possible roles of AGPs in fertilization, zygotic division, and proembryo development are discussed.     

An electron microscope study on in vitro parthenogenesis in sunflower

Summary Electron microscope studies have been conducted on the parthenogenesis induced by in vitro culture of unfertilized ovules of sunflower (Helianthus annuus). In comparison with the state of the egg prior to inoculation, some eggs 5 days after culture show striking ultrastructural changes, which include, among others, nuclear migration, an increase in the number and activity of the organelles, a loss of polarity and wall formation at the chalazal end of the cell. Most of these changes are similar to those that occur normally in the zygote, indicating that parthenogenic development has been triggered in these eggs. Such eggs have been termed activated and are presumed to be capable of undergoing parthenogenesis. The parthenogenic proembryos which result share some features in common with zygotic proembryos. In addition, some parthenogenic proembryos exhibit unique properties not found in zygotic proembryos. These include embryos that consist of two parts differing markedly in density, an inversion of polarity, the frequent occurrence of autophagic vacuoles, the thickening of cell walls, a centripetal growth mode of wall formation, the appearance of an incomplete cell wall, free nuclear division, amitosis and degeneration. We believe that these ultrastructural peculiarities are the effects of in vitro culture.     

AGAMOSPERMY AND THE LOSS OF DISTYLY IN ERYTHROXYLUM UNDULATUM (ERYTHROXYLACEAE) FROM NORTHERN VENEZUELA

Erythroxylum undulatum is a gametophytic apomict that produces about 15% seed set independently of pollination. Embryo sac formation is aposporous, and the plants are largely pollen-sterile, which may be a result of polyploidy and hybrid origin. It appears to be derived from a distylous ancestor, as all other known species of Erythroxylum are distylous or secondarily dioecious, and all examined individuals of E. undulatum correspond to the normal long–styled morph. This is the first clearly documented case of agamospermy derived from distyly.     

APOMIXIS AND POLYEMBRYONY IN PACHIRA OLEAGINEA (BOMBACACEAE)

Baker , H. G. (U. California, Berkeley.) Apomixis and polyembryony in Pachira oleaginea (Bombacaceae) . Amer. Jour. Bot. 47(4): 296—302. Illus. 1960.–Trees identified as Pachira oleaginea Decne. are now widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical Africa. Specimens from Achimota, Ghana, are shown to contain 1—5 embryos in a single seed. The flowers, which open at night, are self-compatible but need to be pollinated for seed-setting to occur. Maturation of the fruit takes about 2 mo. but the seeds germinate soon after shedding. One embryo in each seed is usually much the largest and the only one to become established as a seedling. There is no relation between seed-size and numbers of embryos contained. Histological and cytogical studies show that adventitious embryony is responsible for the excess embryos following the formation of a normal sexually produced embryo (2n=72) and endosperm (3n=108). Adventitious embryos arise from single cells in the nucellus in the vicinity of the micropyle and appear to develop faster than the sexually produced embryo with consequent frequent apomictic reproduction. This is the first report of apomixis in the Malvales, which may have important practical consequences as P. oleaginea is a potential economic plant and may fruit only 3 yr. after sowing, rendering seed-propagation feasible.     

Morphological variation in the flowers of Jacaratia mexicana A. DC. (Caricaceae), a subdioecious tree

The Caricaceae is a small family of tropical trees and herbs in which most species are dioecious. In the present study, we extend our previous work on dioecy in the Caricaceae, characterising the morphological variation in sexual expression in flowers of the dioecious tree Jacaratia mexicana . We found that, in J. mexicana , female plants produce only pistillate flowers, while male plants are sexually variable and can bear three different types of flowers: staminate, pistillate and perfect. To characterise the distinct types of flowers, we measured 26 morphological variables. Our results indicate that: (i) pistillate flowers from male trees carry healthy-looking ovules and are morphologically similar, although smaller than, pistillate flowers on female plants; (ii) staminate flowers have a rudimentary, non-functional pistil and are the only flowers capable of producing nectar; and (iii) perfect flowers produce healthy-looking ovules and pollen, but have smaller ovaries than pistillate flowers and fewer anthers than staminate flowers, and do not produce nectar. The restriction of sexual variation to male trees is consistent with the evolutionary path of dioecy from hermaphrodite ancestors through the initial invasion of male-sterile plants and a subsequent gradual reduction in female fertility in cosexual individuals (gynodioecy pathway), but further work is needed to confirm this hypothesis.     

Pseudogamous embryogenesis and the degree of parthenogenesis inAllium tuberosum

Summary Early stages of egg embryony and antipodal embryony in ovules from both pollinated and unpollinated flowers ofAllium tuberosum, a diplosporous apomict, were observed. Whether flowers were pollinated or not, autonomous egg and antipodal embryonies occurred at nearly equal frequencies and progressed almost synchronously for several days. An electrophoretic analysis of endosperm esterase demonstrated the fertilization of polar nuclei. It was thus confirmed thatA. tuberosum is a pseudogamous apomict. The degree of parthenogenesis, calculated as the percentage of ovules in which egg cells showed autonomous embryonic development, ranged between 62% and 94% among six cultivars and was nearly equal to the degree of diplospory previously reported. The present results show that most unreduced egg cells and egg-like antipodal cells ofA. tuberosum have the ability to start embryogenesis independently of pollination.     

水稻离体授粉的胚胎学研究

采用2个水稻（Oryza sativa L.)品种“春江05”（早粳）和“95046”（晚粳）,对离体授粉过程中的胚胎学进行了详细的研究。结果表明：（1）2个品种均胡离体授粉结实,平均结实率为52．1％,其中28．4％胚胎发育正常,2．2％胚胎发育异常,21．5％愈伤组织化;（2）离体授粉时的胚胎发育途径和体内自然发育基本相同,中是合子和初生胚乳核首次启动分裂及以后的发育均较延缓,但最终也能萌发成幼苗。（3）观察到具细长胚柄的原胚及液泡化原胚等异常的胚胎类型;（4）子房内形成的愈伤组织分为致密和松散两种类型,二均可化出不定芽和不定根,还对离体授粉的方法,离体授粉中正常和异常的胚胎发育途径进行了讨论。     

蝴蝶兰合子和胚的分离

该文用酶解一振荡法分离蝴蝶兰受精后的胚囊,然后显微解剖出合子、早期原胚及接近成熟的球形原胚。酶解液由O．7％-1．3％的纤维素酶、0．6％-1．0％果胶酶和10％甘露醇组成,pH5．8,酶解时间20-30min。分离的蝴蝶兰早期原胚和接近成熟的球形原胚均发现有发达的胚柄吸器。     

Embryological study on gynogenesis in onion (Allium cepa L.)

Haploid induction in onion can, to date, be induced only via gynogenesis by culturing unfertilized flowers, ovaries or ovules. The process of haploid embryo induction has been macroscopically well studied, but only limited data exist from microscopic examination of ovule development status at the inoculation stage and of the origin of gynogenic embryos. Microscopic studies were carried out using individual donor plants with relatively high embryo induction frequencies (45.9 embryos formed per 100 flowers, on average, for 2 years). Ovaries from flower bud culture were fixed at 1 week intervals up to the 7th week of culture. These were compared with pollinated ovaries at 1 or 2 weeks after pollination. In total, 1428 unfertilized embryo sacs were examined. The results indicate that, at the time of inoculation, ovules within ovaries 2.0–3.0 mm in diameter contained two- or four-nucleate embryo sacs in the smallest ovaries to mature embryo sacs in the largest ovaries. It seems likely that the embryos are actually induced from ovaries cultured at the immature stage. After 1 or 2 weeks in culture, the egg apparatus primarily consisted of distinctly enlarged synergids and the egg cell, which was often detached from the micropylar pole. But free nuclear endosperm was also formed. From the 2nd to 7th week in culture, formation of haploid embryos (from globular to the almost mature cylindrical stage) was detected in 5.7% of the ovules. Their origin, for several reasons, was most likely the egg cell. In addition, ovules containing endosperm only (3.6%) and ovules containing the egg apparatus (0.5%) or both endosperm and embryo (0.4%) were detected. This observation is probably unique and has not yet been reported in other species studied. Received: February 2001 / Revision accepted: 20 April 2001     

A defective pollen-pistil interaction contributes to hamper seed set in the<Emphasis Type="Italic"> parthenocarpic fruit</Emphasis> tomato mutant

In the parthenocarpic fruit (pat) tomato mutant, parthenocarpy is associated with partial aberrations of stamens (shortness and carpelloidy) and ovules (defective integument growth) that contribute to impair seed set. However, these do not seem to be the only reasons for seed infertility because hand-pollination fails to restore seed set in ovaries where a fraction of the ovules are still morphologically normal. Therefore, it is conceivable that other unreported defects occur during the reproductive process in the mutant. In this research, we show that the mutation does not affect pollen or embryo sac development and viability, but generates sporophytic effects that reduce seed production and seed size. While pollen germination and stylar growth were normal in mutant pistils, fertilization does not take place because of abnormalities in the pollen tube-ovary interaction in this genotype. Inside the ovary of pat plants, pollen tubes appeared to be disorientated; they wandered about in the ovarian cavity and often lost their adherence to the placental surface. Interestingly, in pat ovaries fertilization was strongly impaired even in those ovules that appeared normal. It may be that apparently 'normal' ovules cannot guide pollen tubes to their micropyle in the altered pat ovary because adhesion molecules are not properly arrayed on a placenta that is already preparing for cell division or, alternatively, chemotropic signals in the pat ovary may be altered by the presence of aberrant ovules, which are not simply devoid of attractivity, but disrupt pollen tube guidance overall.     

Embryological Studies on In Vitro Pollination in Rice

n vitro pollination and its embryological studies were carried out in two japonica cultivars of rice (Oryza sativa L.), “Chunjiang 05" and “95046". N6 basic medium supplemented with different exogenous hormones was used for ovary culture after in vitro pollination. The main results were as follows: (1) both cultivars were induced to set kernels after in vitro pollination. The frequency of seedset was 52.1%, including 28.4%normal embryo development, 2.2% abnormal embryo development and 21.5% callus formation. (2) The processes of embryo and endosperm development after in vitro pollination were basically as normal as those in vivo , except there was some retardation in the first division of zygotes and primary endosperm nuclei as well as in their subsequent development. However, both kernels and plantlets could be produced finally. (3) A few abnormal embryos were observed, for instance, proembryos with elongated suspensor and vacuolated proembryos. (4) Two types of calli in the cultured ovaries appeared, namely, the compact callus and the fragile callus, which were able to differentiate into adventitious buds and roots.