Abstract
Various factors (pollen diameter, in vitro germination and tube length, in vivo growth rate in selfed and nonselfed styles) which could possibly contribute to the competitive ability of pollen were investigated on 30 Zea mays L. inbred lines. The only factor with which pollen diameter was positively correlated was in vitro pollen-tube growth. Traits related to the early stages of growth (in vitro germination, in vitro tube length, early in vivo pollen growth rate) were all positively correlated with each other, and these early characteristics were negatively correlated with late in vivo tube growth rate, which is largely influenced by the stylar genotype.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Kindiger B, Beckett TA, Coe EH (1991) Differential effects of specific chromosomal deficiencies on the development of the maize pollen grain. Genome 32:579–594
Kumar D, Sarkar KR (1980) Correlation between pollen diameter and rate of pollen tube growth in maize (Zea mays L). Indian J Exp Biol 18:1242–1244
Mascarenhas JP (1992) Pollen gene expression: molecular evidence. Int Rev Cytol 140:3–18
Ottaviano E, Mulcahy DL (1989) Genetics of Angiosperm pollen. Adv Genet 26:1–64
Ottaviano E, Sari-Gorla M, Mulcahy DL (1980) Pollen tube growth rate in Zea mays: implications for genetic improvement of crops. Science 210:437–438
Ottaviano E, Sari-Gorla M, Villa M (1988) Pollen competitive ability in maize: within population variability and response to selection. Theor Appl Genet 76:601–608
Ottaviano E, Pe' ME, Binelli G (1991) Genetic manipulation of male gametophytic generation in higher plants. In: Biswas BB, Harris JR (eds) Plant genetic engineering. (Subcellular Biochemistry, vol 17). Plenum Press, New York, pp 107–142
Pedersen S (1988) Pollen competition in barley. Hereditas 109:75–81
Pfahler PL (1967) Fertilization ability of maize pollen grains. II. Pollen genotype, female sporophyte and pollen storage interaction. Genetics 57:513–521
Richardson T, Stephenson AG (1992) Effects of parentage and size of the pollen load on progeny performance in Campanula americana. Evolution 46:1731–1739
Robert T, Lespinasse R, Pernes J, Sarr A (1991) Gametophytic competition as influencing gene flow between wide and cultivated forms of pearl millet (Pennisetum typhoides). Genome 34:195–200
Sari-Gorla M, Frova C (1995) Pollen tube growth. In: Sawhney VK, Shivanna KR (eds) Pollen biotechnology for crop production and improvement. Cambridge University Press, New York, (in press)
Sari-Gorla M, Ottaviano E, Bellintani R (1976) Competitive ability of maize pollen. Interaction between genotypes of pollen and stylar tissues. Maydica 21:77–80
Sari-Gorla M, Pe' ME, Mulcahy DL, Ottaviano E (1992) Genetic dissection of pollen competitive ability in maize. Heredity 69:423–430
Sari-Gorla M, Pe' ME, Rossini L (1994) Detection of QTLs controlling pollen germination and growth in maize. Heredity 72:332–335
Sari-Gorla M, Binelli G, Pe' ME, Villa M (1995) Detection of genetic factors controlling pollen-style interaction in maize. Heredity 74:62–69
Sarr A, Sandmeier M, Pernes J (1988) Gametophytic competition in pearl millet, Pennisetum typhoides (Stapf and Hubb). Genome 30:924–928
SAS Institute (1985) SAS user's guide: statistics. SAS Institute, Cary, N. C.
Van Valen LM (1973) A new evolutionary law. Evol Theor 1:1–30
Walsh NE, Charlesworth D (1992) Evolutionary interpretations of differences in pollen tube growth rates. Q Rev Biol 67:19–37
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by P. L. Pfahler
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sari-Gorla, M., Mulcahy, D.L., Villa, M. et al. Pollen-pistil interaction in maize: effects on genetic variation of pollen traits. Theoret. Appl. Genetics 91, 936–940 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00223903
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00223903