ON THE NATURE OF INTRA- AND INTERSPECIFIC INCOMPATIBILITY IN ULMUS

Efforts to introduce Dutch Elm Disease resistance into the American elm (Ulmus americana L.) through breeding with Asian elms has been hampered by sexual incompatibility. Controlled pollinations of Ulmus americana and the Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila L.) were studied in detail to gain insight into the nature of this incompatibility. Microscopic observations revealed that germination and early pollen tube growth were inhibited on the stigmatic surface following both intra- and interspecific incompatible pollinations. Both qualitative and quantitative differences in pollen inhibition on the stigmatic surface indicated that the inhibition may involve the action of an inhibitory substance. Detailed observations on callose deposition indicated that this β-1,3 glucose polymer may implement the inhibition.     

INTERSPECIFIC INCOMPATIBILITY IN GOSSYPIUM. IV. TEMPERATURE-CONDITIONAL LETHALITY IN HYBRIDS OF G. KLOTZSCHIANUM

A number of interspecific hybrids involving G. klotzschianum are embryo-lethal or seedling-lethal at temperatures considered optimal for cotton culture (26–32 C). At temperatures between 33–37 C, lethal symptoms (cell-necrosis and vascular plugging) for both stages of lethality are greatly ameliorated and at 40 C lethal symptoms are absent and hybrid ontogeny is normal for embryo- and seedling-lethals. Temperature-repressed lethals revert to type within 12–24 h after being returned to a non-repressive temperature regime.     

MEIOTIC IRREGULARITY IN SPECIES AND INTERSPECIFIC HYBRIDS OF PINUS

This paper describes a comparative analysis of meiotic conditions in 61 individual trees representing 21 species and 22 interspecific hybrid combinations of the genus Pinus. Material was collected during three successive growing seasons at the Eddy Arboretum of the Institute of Forest Genetics at Placerville, California. Meiotic irregularity occurred in all species and hybrids examined; mean irregularity frequencies of individual trees ranged from 0 to 47.2 percent. Abnormalities in chromosome movement and their consequences, (1) precocious disjunction associated with the occurrence of univalents and (2) the failure of chiasma terminalization leading to lagging chromosomes and to chromosome breakage and fragments, account for most of the observed irregularity. The same kinds of irregularity occur both in the species and in the hybrids, but they were considerably more frequent in certain of the hybrids than in the related species. These abnormalities in chromosome movement seem to be characteristic of Pinus and are attributed primarily to rrechanical difficulties which attend the large pine chromosomes in meiosis. The most spectacular meiotic irregularities were the characteristic bridge-fragment configurations considered to be the result of crossing-over in heterozygous paracentric inversions. Inversion bridges were observed in 59 of the 61 trees and were as frequent in the species as in the hybrids. They apparently do not result from interspecific differentiation in chromosome structure but from spontaneous intra-specific rearrangements. The literature and work now in progress provide increasing evidence that introgression has been an important factor in the evolution of pine populations. The cytological study of pine chromosomes has failed to produce qualitative evidence of introgression, but the quantitative measurement of meiotic irregularity may serve as a useful criterion for recognizing the results of past hybridization.     

INTERSPECIFIC INCOMPATIBILITY IN GOSSYPIUM. I. STEM HISTOGENESIS OF G. HIRSUTUM X G. GOSSYPIOIDES

The hybrid of Gossypium hirsutum X G. gossypioides develops normally until 10–12 nodes have been produced at which time neoplasms form in the cortex, phloem, and pith of the lower portion of the shoot axis. Neoplasms are characterized by irregular whorls of unusually large cells the central portions of which contain apparently cytolysed cells and a reddish-brown substance that probably represents the products of cytolysis. Neoplastic invasion is followed by inactivation of the vascular cambium, disorganization of the phloem and cortex, and tylosing and plugging of many xylem vessels. Subsequent growth of the shoot, which continues at a very slow rate for up to several years, involves the proliferation of parenchymatous tissue which becomes secondarily vascularized.     

HYBRID INCOMPATIBILITY IS ACQUIRED FASTER IN ANNUAL THAN IN PERENNIAL SPECIES OF SUNFLOWER AND TARWEED

Hybrid sterility is an important species barrier, especially in plants where hybrids can often form between divergent taxa. Here we explore how life history affects the acquisition of hybrid sterility in two groups in the sunflower family. We analyzed genetic distance and F1 pollen sterility for interspecific crosses in annual and perennial groups. We find that reproductive isolation is acquired in a steady manner and that annual species acquire hybrid sterility barriers faster than perennial species. Potential causes of the observed sterility pattern are discussed.     

埃塞俄比亚芥与白菜型、甘蓝型和芥菜型油菜杂种子房培养技术的研究

本文研究了埃芥×白菜型油菜、埃芥×甘蓝型油菜和埃芥×芥菜型油菜杂种子房的离体培养方法。结果表明,三大种间组合授粉子房的适宜离体时间分别在５—１０、７—１２和１０—１７天之间。水解酪蛋白对杂种胚的发育没显示出有利作用,０．２ｍｇ／ＬＢＡ促进了杂种胚的形成。ＭＳ和Ｌ．Ｓ．Ｍ．基本培养基和本培养方法对于埃芥×白菜型油菜和埃芥×甘蓝型油菜杂种子房的离体培养是可行的。     

CROSSING RELATIONSHIPS AMONG DIPLOID SPECIES OF THE SOLANUM NIGRUM COMPLEX IN NORTH AMERICA

Crosses were made in all combinations of the six diploid species of the Solarium nigrum complex that occur in North America. Some interspecific pollinations failed to yield viable seed; successful crosses gave rise to moderately to highly sterile F₁ hybrids. Results of interspecific crosses suggested phylogenetic relationships that were not completely in accord with those suggested by morphology. Interspecific crosses also gave varied results. All interpopulational crosses within S. interius and S. sarachoides produced fully fertile hybrids. In contrast, hybrids within S. americanum and S. douglasii varied from fully fertile to almost completely sterile. Populations of S. pseudogracile could be divided into two groups which are geographically separated but not morphologically differentiated. Fully fertile hybrids resulted from crosses within a group, whereas crosses between groups gave hybrids with reduced fertility. Four crossing groups were observed within 5. nodiflorum; three of the parental groups are sympatric and are morphologically differentiated. Although hybrid sterility in interspecific crosses is sometimes used to support delimitation of species, the presence of sterility in intraspecific crosses suggests that such an interpretation is unwarranted for the S. nigrum complex. Hybrid sterility, therefore, is not considered to have special taxonomic significance in this complex.     

激光和高压静电场对草莓种间杂交不亲和性的影响

以明晶等４个栽培品种及森林草莓、黄毛草莓和弗州草莓等３个野生种和类型为试材进行了该项研究。结果表明,用适宜剂量的激光和高压静电场处理父本野生草莓花粉可以克服草莓种间杂交不亲和性,显著提高座果率、杂种率和交配率,从而获得较多新的草莓种质资源。     

INTERSPECIFIC INCOMPATIBILITY IN GOSSYPIUM. II. LIGHT AND ELECTRON MICROSCOPE STUDIES OF CELL NECROSIS AND TUMORIGENESIS IN HYBRIDS OF G. KLOTZSCHIANUM

Many Gossypium interspecific hybrids that involve G. klotzschianum result in either embryo or seedling lethals. Histologically, lethal symptoms are characterized by necrotic cells and tumors that appear 10–15 days after fertilization in the embryo lethals and at the first true-leaf stage in the seedling lethals. Ultrastructural studies of cell necrosis in seedling lethals show that the first subcellular abnormality is the degeneration of the inner membrane and cristae of the mitochondria. Mitochondrial degeneration is essentially complete before other organelles show evidence of structural aberrations.     

PARTIAL INCOMPATIBILITY BETWEEN ANTS AND SYMBIOTIC FUNGI IN TWO SYMPATRIC SPECIES OF ACROMYRMEX LEAF-CUTTING ANTS

Abstract We investigate the nature and duration of incompatibility between certain combinations of Acromyrmex leaf‐cutting ants and symbiotic fungi, taken from sympatric colonies of the same or a related species. Ant‐fungus incompatibility appeared to be largely independent of the ant species involved, but could be explained partly by genetic differences among the fungus cultivars. Following current theoretical considerations, we develop a hypothesis, originally proposed by S. A. Frank, that the observed incompatibilities are ultimately due to competitive interactions between genetically different fungal lineages, and we predict that the ants should have evolved mechanisms to prevent such competition between cultivars within a single garden. This requires that the ants are able to recognize unfamiliar fungi, and we show that this is indeed the case. Amplified fragment length polymorphism genotyping further shows that the two sympatric Acromyrmex species share each other's major lineages of cultivar, confirming that horizontal transfer does occasionally take place. We argue and provide some evidence that chemical substances produced by the fungus garden may mediate recognition of alien fungi by the ants. We show that incompatibility between ants and transplanted, genetically different cultivars is indeed due to active killing of the novel cultivar by the ants. This incompatibility disappears when ants are force‐fed the novel cultivar for about a week, a result that is consistent with our hypothesis of recognition induced by the resident fungus and eventual replacement of incompatibility compounds during force‐feeding.     

INTERSPECIFIC CROSSES IN KALMIA

Interspecific crosses among Kalmia species are reported for the first time. All possible crosses between K. angustifolia, K. cuneata, K. latifolia, K. hirsuta, K. polifolia var. rosmarinifolia and K. p. var. microphylla were attempted. Several crosses yielded no hybrids, many produced albino or yellow-green inviable seedlings, and six combinations produced at least a few seedlings with near-normal growth habit. Stylar inhibition of pollen tube growth prevented some species from hybridizing; reciprocal differences in crossability and pollen tube growth were noted. Kalmia species are highly heterozygous, but no evidence was found within a species for geographic variation of combining ability except for the two varieties of K. polifolia which had different crossing patterns with the other species. The anthocyaninless form of K. angustifolia, in contrast to the normal, has unique combining ability with K. latifolia. No genetic evidence was found to support the placement of K. hirsuta in another genus (Kalmiella) or to designate K. angustifolia var. caroliniana as a distinct species. Use of all the species to breed improved ornamentals is limited by genetic barriers and sterility of F₁ hybrids.     

CHROMOSOME PAIRING AND POLLEN FERTILITY IN INTERSPECIFIC HYBRIDS OF SPECIES OF PARTHENIUM (ASTERACEAE)

Meiotic analyses and pollen viability tests were performed on F, hybrids between diploid guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray 2n = 36), P. rollinsianum Rzedowski (2n = 36), P. alpinum var. tetraneuris Barneby (2n = 36), and P. alpinum var. alpinum Nutt. (2n = 36). Parthenium chromosomes are small and karyomorphologically similar, and meiotic analysis is difficult because of chromosome clumping. However, cytogenetic studies at metaphase I indicated univalents can be seen in a lateral view of the metaphase plate. Chromosome pairing and the number of univalents varied within and between the interspecific hybrids, with an average univalent number of 1.54 for the P. rollinsianum hybrids, 2.36 for the P. alpinum var. tetraneuris hybrids, and 2.46 for the P. alpinum var. alpinum hybrids. Pollen viability tests for the parental species and the hybrids were conducted by germination of pollen grains on stigmas. The percent of viable pollen recorded for the diploid guayule hybrids with P. rollinsianum, P. alpinum var. tetraneuris, and P. alpinum var. alpinum are 21.94, 13.47, and 11.17, respectively. The degree of chromosome pairing and pollen viability is striking because there are many morphological differences between the parents. The chromosome homology of these species based on their pairing behavior allows for the design of a backcross breeding program that would permit the transfer of the desirable characteristics from these species into diploid guayule.