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Post-pollination prefertilization drops affect germination rates of heterospecific pollen in larch and Douglas-fir

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Abstract

Pollen of larch (Larix × marschlinsii) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) was used in homospecific and heterospecific crosses. Germination of heterospecific pollen in ovulo was reduced in post-pollination prefertilization drops. This provides evidence of selection against foreign pollen by open-pollinated exposed ovules in these two sister taxa, which share the same type of pollination mechanism. Of the other prezygotic stages in pollen–ovule interactions, uptake of pollen by stigmatic hairs did not show any selection. Pollen tube penetration of the nucellus was similar for hetero- and homospecific pollen tubes, but heterospecific tubes only delivered gametes in one cross. To test for differences in the post-pollination prefertilization drops of each species, drops were gathered and analysed. Glucose and fructose were present in similar amounts in Douglas-fir and larch, while sucrose was found in larch only. Other carbohydrates such as xylose and melezitose were species-specific. In P. menziesii, sucrose is absent due to its conversion to glucose and fructose by apoplastic invertases. In contrast, Larix × marschlinsii drops have sucrose because they lack apoplastic invertases. The presence of invertase activity shows that the composition of gymnosperm post-pollination prefertilization drops is not static but dynamic. Drops of these two species also differed in their calcium concentrations.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Julia Gill, Jennifer Robb and Chani Joseph for their assistance with pollination drop collection. P von Aderkas and K. Gill acknowledge the kind assistance of Prof T. Fyles, Dept Chemistry, University of Victoria and advice from Dr. J. Russell, BC Ministry of Forests. This research was funded by PAR (University of Siena) and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada grants held by P. v. Aderkas, A. Coulter, M. Rise, S. Rzemieniak and P. Lan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Centre for Forest Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 3N2, Canada

    Patrick von Aderkas, Andrea Coulter, Patricia Lan & Sarah Rzemieniak

  2. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100, Siena, Italy

    Massimo Nepi, Federico Buffi, Massimo Guarnieri & Ettore Pacini

  3. Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada

    Marlies Rise

  4. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada

    Karen Gill

  5. BIOCONNET (Biodiversity and Conservation Network), University of Siena, Siena, Italy

    Ettore Pacini

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  1. Patrick von Aderkas
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  2. Massimo Nepi
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  3. Marlies Rise
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  4. Federico Buffi
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  5. Massimo Guarnieri
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  6. Andrea Coulter
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  7. Karen Gill
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  8. Patricia Lan
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  9. Sarah Rzemieniak
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  10. Ettore Pacini
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Correspondence to Patrick von Aderkas.

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Communicated by William Friedman.

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von Aderkas, P., Nepi, M., Rise, M. et al. Post-pollination prefertilization drops affect germination rates of heterospecific pollen in larch and Douglas-fir. Sex Plant Reprod 25, 215–225 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00497-012-0193-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00497-012-0193-4

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