| Abstract: | Since apomixis has a close correlation with polyploidy and sterility, a number of autotriploids with no sexual reproductivity were induced and apomictic germplasm were screened in Oryza sativa L. As a result, an autotriploid line, named TAR, was cytoembryologically identified which possessed apomictic property, with an average seed-set rate of 10% per panicle. Karyotype analysis proved that all the progeny seeds of TAR carried 36 chromosomes in the generations tested. Priliminary cytological observations revealed that all the ovaries of TAR had embryo sac differentiation, 33% of which developed into normal megagametophyte, 9% with previous embryogenesis prior to anthesis, and about 58% differentiated abnormally, i.e. disordered polarization, absent female generative unit and more than 2 polar nuclei. In TAR, the frequencies of chromosome configuration of 12 Ⅲ, 11 Ⅱ + 1 Ⅱ +1 Ⅰ. L0Ⅲ +2Ⅱ +2 Ⅰ, 9Ⅲ+3Ⅱ +3 Ⅰ, 8Ⅲ+4Ⅱ +4 Ⅰ and 7Ⅲ+5 Ⅱ +5 Ⅰ were ll%, 17%, 15%, 26%, 20% and 11% respectively at metaphase Ⅰ . While in the check line T-15 of autotriploid only 7 % of the ovaries observed had embryo sac development, and the progenies of this triploid line were aneuploids with chromosome number of 25～27. In T-15, the frequencies of chromosome configuration of 12 Ⅲ, 11Ⅲ +1 Ⅱ +1 Ⅰ, 10 Ⅲ +2 Ⅱ +2 Ⅰ , 9Ⅲ+3 Ⅱ +3 Ⅰ and 8 Ⅲ+4 Ⅱ +4 Ⅰ were 24%, 16%, 36%, 17% and 7% respectively at metaphse Ⅰ . The above observations indicated that some megaspore mother cell in TAR might undergo apomeiosis and where it gave rise to unreduced embryo sac, the unreduced eggs or synergids developed into embryos without fertilization and polar nuclei produced endosperm by pseudogamy. |
