Summary
Male sterility genes isolated in four inbred lines of pearl millet were found allelic. The differences between male fertile and male sterile phenotypes is mainly due to a single gene. Presence of a dominant gene (Ms) resulted in male fertility and double recessiveness (ms ms) in male sterility. However, genic male sterility (GMS) in Pennisetum is not a simply inherited case of monogenic recessive condition but is influenced by cytoplasmic and several nuclear factors. In a male sterile, the stage at which the male sterility gene is expressed during the development of the male gametophyte resulting in breakdown of the cells is influenced by cytoplasmic and other nuclear factors. Two types of cytoplasm, C-1 and C-2, are recognized. Presence of any two recessive male sterility alleles in C-1 led to breakdown of male development before differentiation of an archesporium in the anther (Arc-type); in C-2 cytoplasm, degeneration started during meiosis with fusion of meiocytes and syncyte formation (Syn-type), or at post-meiotic stages terminating in abortion of microspores before first pollen mitosis (PGM type). The triggering of activity of recessive male sterility genes in C-2 cytoplasm appeared to be regulated by two nuclear factors, R 1 and R 2 with duplicate gene action. Recessiveness for both the R factors in C-2 cytoplasm resulted in PGM-type expression. The action of R 1 and R 2 is specific to C-2 cytoplasm. Mutation of cytoplasm from C-1 to C-2 and C-2 to C-1 was observed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Burnham CR, Phillips RL, Albertsen MC (1981) Inheritance of male sterility in flax involving nuclear-cytoplasmic interaction including methods of testing for cytoplasmic restoration. Crop Sci 21:659–663
Burton GW (1977) Fertility sterility maintainer in cytoplasmic male sterile pearl millet. Crop Sci 17:635–637
Burton GW, Athwal DS (1967) Two additional sources of cytoplasmic male sterility in pearl millet and their relationship to Tift 23A. Crop Sci 7:209–211
Clement WM Jr (1975) Plasmon mutations in cytoplasmic male sterile pearl millet, Pennisetum typhoides. Genetics 79:583–588
Duvick DN, Noble SW (1977) Current and future use of cytoplasmic male sterility for hybrid seed production. In: Walden DB (ed) Maize breeding and genetics. Wiley, New York, pp 265–277
Francis RR, Bemis WP (1970) A cytomorphological study of male sterility in a mutant of Cucurbita maxima Duch. Econ Bot 24:325–332
Golubovskaya IN, Mashnenkov AS (1981) Genetic control of chromosome segregation during the first meiotic division. Maize Genet Coop Newslett 55:78
Golubovskaya IN, Urbach VG (1981) Allelic relationships between meiotic mutations with similar disturbances of meiosis. Maize Genet Coop Newslett 55:80
Gottschalk W, Kaul MLH (1974) The genetic control of microsporogenesis in higher plants. Nucleus 17:133–166
Hermsen Th GJ (1965) Towards a more efficient utilization of genic male sterility in breeding hybrid barley and wheat. Euphytica 14:221–224
Kheyr-Pour A (1980) Nucleo-cytoplasmic polymorphism for male sterility in Origanum vulgare L. J Hered 71:253–260
Krishna Rao M, Koduru PRK (1978a) Inheritance of genetic male sterility in Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke. Euphytica 27:777–783
Krishna Rao M, Koduru PRK (1978b) Cytogenetics of a factor for syncyte formation and male sterility in Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke. Theor Appl Genet 54:1–7
Krishna Rao M, Uma Devi K (1983) Variation in expression of genic male sterility in pearl millet. J Hered 74:34–38
Pfeifer RP (1972) A method to produce hybrid barley. Agron Abstr 1972, p 17
Singh A, Laughman JR (1972) Instability of S male sterile cytoplasm in maize. Genetics 71:607–620
Subba Rao B (1985) A case of genic male sterility induced by sodium azide in pearl millet. Biol Zentralbl 104:519–521
Tsuchiya T (1981) Further results on the allelic relationships of three Uzu genes in barley. J Hered 72:455–458
Uma Devi K (1981) Investigations into male sterility and dwarfism in pearl millet, Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke. PhD Thesis, Andhra University
West DP, Albertsen MC (1985) Three new male sterile genes. Maize Genet Coop Newslett 59:87
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by R. Hagemann
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Krishna Rao, M., Uma Devi, K. Allelic relationship of four male sterility genes and nucleo-cytoplasmic interactions in the expression of male sterility in pearl millet, Pennisetum americanum (L.) leeke. Theoret. Appl. Genetics 77, 576–580 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00274283
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00274283