Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Chemical agents that inhibit pollen development: tools for research

  • Review
  • Published:
Sexual Plant Reproduction Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Several unrelated compounds are known to selectively inhibit the development of the male gametophyte. When applied at suitable dosages to plants at the appropriate stages of anther development, these substances block the formation of fertile pollen. The affected stage of pollen development is characteristic of the specific chemical structure of the compound, ranging from effects on microspore meiosis to the formation of pollen defective in the ability to germinate or fertilize. The range of effects mediated by these substances, and by known male-sterile mutants, indicates that microspore development has several critical phases that are particularly sensitive to fatal inhibition. We propose that chemical inhibitors of pollen development deserve attention as tools for elucidating the regulation of pollen development.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adler IL, Hoffman CK, Stavinski SS (1984) High performance liquid chromatographic analysis of fenridazone-potassium in wheat grain and straw. J Agric Food Chem 32:1358–1361

    Google Scholar 

  • Agarwala SC, Sharma PN, Chaterjee C, Sharma CP (1980) Copper deficiency induced changes in wheat, Triticum aestivum, cultivar UP-262, anther. Proc Indian Natl Sci Acad B Biol Sci 46:172–176

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahokas H (1978) Cytoplasmic male sterility in barley. II. Physiology and anther cytology of msm1. Hereditas 89:7–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Balint R, Cooper G, Stabell M, Filner P (1987) N-Caffeoyl-4-amino-n-butyric acid, a new flower-specific metabolite in cultured tobacco cells and tobacco plants. J Biol Chem 262:11026–11031

    Google Scholar 

  • Barbier M (1970) Chemistry and biochemistry of pollens. Prog Phytochem 2:1–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Bathurst NO (1954) The amino acids of grass pollen. J Exp Bot 5:253–256

    Google Scholar 

  • Benito-Moreno RM, Macke F, Hauser M-T, Alwen A, Herberle-Bors E (1988) Sporophytes and male gametophytes from in vitro cultured tobacco pollen. In: Cresti M, Gori P, Pacini E (eds) Sringer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 137–142

  • Bennett MD, Hughes WG (1972) Additional mitosis in wheat pollen induced by ethrel. Nature 240:566–568

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowles DJ, Lemle L, Kauss H (1977) Gycosylation of sterols and polyphenolphosphate in the Golgi apparatus of Phaseolus aureus. Planta 134:177–181

    Google Scholar 

  • Bucholtz DL (1988) Effect of environment and formulation on the absorption and translocation of fenridazon in wheat Triticum aestivum L. Plant Growth Regul 7:65–74

    Google Scholar 

  • Chauhan SVS, Kinoshita T (1982) Chemically-induced male sterility in angiosperms. Seiken Jiho 30:54–75

    Google Scholar 

  • Chauhan SVS, Srivastava JN (1981) Morphological and histochemical studies in Capsicum annuum L. plants infected with cucumber mosaic virus. Curr Sci 50:455–458

    Google Scholar 

  • Colhoun CW, Steer MW (1982) Gametocide induction of male sterility: a review and observations on the site of action in the anther. Rev Cytol Veget-Bot 5:283–302

    Google Scholar 

  • Colhoun CW, Steer MW (1983) The cytological effect of the gametocides ethrel and RH-531 on microsporogenesis in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Plant Cell Environ 6:21–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Colhoun CW, Herd YR, Sterr MW (1984) Acetolysis-resistant structures in tapetal cells of male-sterile barley. Caryologia 37:309–322

    Google Scholar 

  • Cross JW, Patterson T, Labovitz J, Almeida E, Schulz PJ (1989) Effects of chemical hybridizing agents SC-1058 and SC-1271 on the ultrastructure of developing wheat anthers (Triticum aeastivum L. var. ‘Yecora rojo’). In: Lord E, Bernier G (eds) Current topics in plant physiology, vol 1. Am Soc Plant Physiol, Rockville, pp 187–188

    Google Scholar 

  • Dashek WV, Mills RR (1973) The influence of the proline analogue, azetidine-2-carboxylic acid on lily pollen-tube elongation, respiration and uptake of 14C-proline and 14C-sucrose. Incompatibility Newsl 3:7–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Dashek WV, Mills RR (1980) Azetidine-2-carboxylic acid and lily pollen-tube elongation. Ann Bot 45:1–12

    Google Scholar 

  • DeGreef W, Gossele V, Goldberg RB, Leemans J (1990) Engineered male sterility of crops. J Cell Biochem [Suppl 14E] abstr R009

  • Dell B (1981) Male sterility and anther wall structure in copper deficient plants. Ann Bot 43:599–608

    Google Scholar 

  • Devlin BRJ, Kerr MW (1979) 3,4-Methanopyrrolidine derivatives and their use as plant growth regulating agents. Eur Patent Appl 2,859

    Google Scholar 

  • Dhopte AM, Eastin JD (1988) Response of sorghum to elevated night temperatures imposed during floret differentiation under field conditions. PKV Res J 12:18–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Dotlacil L, Apltauerova M (1977) The effect of ethrel concentration, time, method of application on the induction of male serility in spring wheat. Sci Agric Bohemoslov 9:217–224

    Google Scholar 

  • El-Ghazaly G, Jensen WA (1986) Studies of the development of wheat (Triticum aestivum) pollen. I. Formation of the pollen wall and Ubish bodies. Grana 25:1–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Espelie K, Loewus F, Pugmire R, Woolfenden WR, Baldi BG, Given P (1989) Structural analysis of Lilium longiforum sporopollenin by 13C-NMR spectroscopy. Phytochemistry 28:751–753

    Google Scholar 

  • Fowden L (1955) Azetidine-2-carboxylic acid: a new constituent of plants. Nature 176:347–348

    Google Scholar 

  • Fowden L, Smith A (1969) Cyclopropane amino acids from Aesculus and Blighia. Phytochemistry 8:437–443

    Google Scholar 

  • Gellately JBM, Martin JG (1987) Use of carboxylic azetidine derivatives for reducing blood cholesterol levels. Eur patent 208347

  • Graham RD (1975) Male sterility in wheat plants deficient in copper. Nature 254:514–515

    Google Scholar 

  • Graham RD (1976) Physiological aspects of time of application of copper to wheat plants. J Exp Biol 27:717–724

    Google Scholar 

  • Graham RD (1986) Induction of male sterility in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) using organic ligands with high specificity for binding copper. Euphytica 35:621–630

    Google Scholar 

  • Graham RD, Pearce DT (1979) The sensitivity of hexaploid and octoploid triticales and their parent species to copper deficiency. Aust J Agric Res 30:791–799

    Google Scholar 

  • Graybosch RA, Palmer RG (1985a) Male sterility in soybean (Glycine max). I. Phenotypic expression of the ms2 mutant. Am J Bot 72:1738–1750

    Google Scholar 

  • Graybosch RA, Palmer RG (1985b) Male sterility in soybean (Glycine max). II. Phenotypic expression of the ms4 mutent. Am J Bot 72:1751–1764

    Google Scholar 

  • Guilford WJ, Schneider DM, Eabovitz J, Opella SJ (1988) Highresolution solid state 13C-NMR spectroscopy of sporopollenin from diferent plant taxa. Plant Physiol 86:134–136

    Google Scholar 

  • Herman EM, Platt-Aloia KA, Thomson WW, Shannon LA (1984) Immunochemical and cytochemical evidence for an intracellular role for plant Golgi apparatus. In: Dugger WM, Bartnicki-Garcia S (eds) Structure, function and biosynthesis of plant cell walls. Waverly Press, Baltimore, pp 435–443

    Google Scholar 

  • Imamura J, Harada J (1980) Effects of abscisic acid and water stress on the embryo and plantlet formation in anther culture of Nicotiana tabacum cv ‘Samsun’. Z Pflanzenphysiol 100:285–289

    Google Scholar 

  • Jan CC, Qualset CO, Vogt HE (1976) Chemically induced sterility in wheat for hybrid seed production. Euphytica 25:375–386

    Google Scholar 

  • Jewell AW, Murray BG, Alloway BJ (1988) Light and electron microscopic studies on pollen development in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) grown under copper-sufficient and deficient conditions. Plant Cell Environ 11:273–281

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson KD, Lucken KA (1986) Screening hard red spring wheat genotypes for cross-pollinated seed set potential using the CHA, S Abstr Annual Meetings. Am Soc Agron, Nov 30–Dec 5, New Orleans, La., p 67

    Google Scholar 

  • Kinoshita T (1971) Genetical studies on the male sterility of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) and its related species. J Fac Agric Hokkaido Univ 56:435–541

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Khoo U, Stinson HT (1957) Free amino acid differences between cytoplasmic male sterile and normal fertile anthers. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 43:603–607

    Google Scholar 

  • Knowles PF, Yadav KDS (1984) Amine oxidases. In: Lontie R (ed) Copper proteins and copper enzymes, vol II CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla., pp 103–129

    Google Scholar 

  • Knox RB (1984) Pollen-pistil interactions. In: Pirson A, Zimmermann MH (eds) Encyclopedia of plant physiology, vol 17. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 508–608

    Google Scholar 

  • Krolak JM, Taylor N, Dashek WV, Mills RR (1977) Azetidine-2-carboxylic acid induced suppression of [14C]proline incorporation into cytoplasmic macromolecules and cell walls of Lilium longiflorum pollen. In: Malik CP (ed) Advances in plant reproductive physiol. Kalyani Publishers, New Delhi, pp 67–71

    Google Scholar 

  • Ladyman JAR, Mogensen HL (1987) Mode of action studies on a chemical hybridizing agent. Agron Abstr Annual Meetings. Am Soc Agron, Nov 29–Dec 4, Atlanta, Ga., p 69

    Google Scholar 

  • Laser KD, Lersten NR (1972) Anatomy and cytology of microsporogenesis in cytoplasmic male-sterile angiosperms. Bot Rev 38:425–454

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee S-L, Earle ED, Gracen VE (1980) The cytology of pollen abortion in S cytoplasmic male-sterile corn anthers. Am J Bot 76:237–245

    Google Scholar 

  • Levings CS III, Dewey RE (1988) Molecular studies of cytoplasmic male sterility in maize. Philos Trans R Soc Lond Ser B 319:177–186

    Google Scholar 

  • Machackova I, Zmrhal Z (1983) The effect of new male sterilants exo-3,4-methanoproline and cis-alpha-carboxycyclopropylglycine on the IAA-induced and 1-ACC induced ethylene formation in wheat, Triticum aestivum, coleoptile segments. Biol Plant (Prague) 25:394–396

    Google Scholar 

  • Malmberg RL, McIndoo J (1983) Abnormal floral development of a tobacco mutant with elevated polymaine levels. Nature 305:623–625

    Google Scholar 

  • Mariani C, Leemans J, De Greef W, De Beuckeleer M (1989) Plants with modified stamen cells. Int patent publ WO 89/10396

  • Mariani C, De Beuckeleer M, Truettner J, Leemans J, Goldberg RB (1990) Induction of male sterility in plants by a chemaeric ribonuclease gene. Nature 347:737–741

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martin-Tanguy J, Perdrizet E, Prevost J, Martin C (1979) Hydroxycinnamic acid amines (HCA) in Zea mays: Distribution and changes with cytoplasmic male sterility. FEBS Lett 108:176–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin-Tanguy J, Perdrizet E, Prevost J, Martin C (1982) Hydroxycinnamic acid amides in fertile and cytoplasmic male-sterile lines of maize. Phytochemistry 21:1939–1945

    Google Scholar 

  • Mascarenhas JP (1990) Gene activity during pollen development. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 41:317–338

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mino Y, Ishida T, Ota N, Inoue M, Nomoto K, Yoshioka H, Takemoto T, Sugiura Y, Tanaka H (1981) Molecular structure and spectroscopic properties of a copper complex with mugineic acid, a novel amino acid from graminaceous plants. Inorg Chem 20:3440–3444

    Google Scholar 

  • Mizelle MB, Sethi R, Ashton ME, Jensen WA (1989) Development of the pollen grain and tapetum of wheat (Triticum aestivum) in untreated plants and plants treated with chemical hybridizing agent RH0007. Sex Plant Reprod 2:231–253

    Google Scholar 

  • Mogensen HL, Ladyman JAR (1989) A structural study on the mode of action of CHA chemical hybridizing agent in wheat. Sex Plant Reprod 2:173–183

    Google Scholar 

  • Nishiyama I (1982) Male sterility caused by cooling treatment at the young microspore stage in rice plants. 22. A method to predict sterility just after the young microspore stage. Jpn J Crop Sci 51:386–392

    Google Scholar 

  • Noma M, Noguchi M (1976) Occurrence of nicotianamine in higher plants. Phytochemistry 15:1701–1702

    Google Scholar 

  • Norris RD, Fowden L (1972) Substrate discrimination by prolyl-tRNA synthetase from various higher plants. Phytochemistry 11:2921–2953

    Google Scholar 

  • Olvey JM, Fisher WD, Patterson LL (1981) TD1123: A selective male gammetocide. In: Brown JM (ed) Proc Beltwide Cotton Prod Res Conf. National Cotton Council of America, Memphis, Tenn, p 84

    Google Scholar 

  • Ouyang JW, Zhou SM, Jia SE (1983) The response of anther culture to culture temperature in Triticum aestivum. Theor Appl Genet 66:101–109

    Google Scholar 

  • Palfi G, Pinter L, Palfi Z (1981) The proline content and fertility of the pollen inbred maize lines. Acta Bot Acad Sci Hung 27:179–189

    Google Scholar 

  • Picard E, Hours C, Gregoire S, Phan TH, Meunier JP (1987) Significant improvement of androgenetic haploid and diploid induction from wheat plants treated with a chemical hybridization agent. Theor Appl Genet 74:289–297

    Google Scholar 

  • Polowick PL, Sawhney VK (1988) High temperature induced male and female sterility in Brassica napus. Ann Bot 62:83–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Ponchet M, Martin-Tanguy J, Marais A, Martin C (1982) Hydroxycinnamolyl acid amides and aromatic amines in the inflorescences of some Araceae species. Phytochemistry 21:2865–2869

    Google Scholar 

  • Porter KB, Foster JP, Peterson GL, Worrall WD (1985) Evaluation of chemical hybridizing agent SD 84811 in winter wheat. Agron Abstr Annual Meetings. Am Soc Agron, Dec 1–6, Chicago Ill, p 67

    Google Scholar 

  • Prahl A-K, Rittscher M, Wiermann R (1986) New aspects of sporopollenin biosynthesis. In: Mulcahy DL et al. (eds) Biotechnology and ecology of pollen. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 313–318

    Google Scholar 

  • Prahl A-K, Springstubbe H, Grumbach K, Wiermann R (1985) Studies on sporopollenin biosynthesis the effect of inhibitors of carotenoid biosynthesis on sporopollenin accumulation. Z Naturforsch Teil C 40:621–626

    Google Scholar 

  • Rowland I, Tristam H (1971/72) Inhibition of bacterial growth by cis- and trans-3,4-methano-l-prolines: mechanism of toxicity. Chem-Biol Interactions 4:377–388

    Google Scholar 

  • Saini HS, Sedgley M, Aspinall D (1984) Developmental anatomy in wheat Triticum aestivum cultivar ‘Gabo’, of male sterility induced by heat stress, water deficit or abscisic acid. Aust J Plant Physiol 11:243–254

    Google Scholar 

  • Samad MA, Lucken KA, Johnson KD (1986) Plant and floral traits influencing cross-pollination in hard red spring wheat. Agron Abstr Annual Meetings. Am Soc Agron, Nov 30–Dec 5, New Orleans, La., p 80

    Google Scholar 

  • Sawhney VK, Bhadula SK (1988) Microsporogenesis in the normal and male-sterile stamenless-2 mutant of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum). Can J Bot 66:2013–2021

    Google Scholar 

  • Schulz PJ, Almeida E (1988) The effects of the chemical hybridizing agents on the ultrastructure of developing wheat anthers (Triticum aestivum L. var ‘Yecora rojo’). Am J Bot 75:46 (abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Searle RJG, Day JA (1980) Azabicyclohexene derivatives for pollen suppressing conditions. Eur Patent Application 12,471

    Google Scholar 

  • Shivanna KR, Heslop-Harrison Y, Heslop-Harrison J (1982) The pollen-stigma interaction in the grasses III. Features of the selfincompatibility response. Acta Bot Neerl 31:307–319

    Google Scholar 

  • Speckmann GJ, Van Geyt JPC, Jacob M (1986) The induction of haploids of sugarbeet (Beta vulgaeis L.) using anther and free pollen culture or ovule and ovary culture. In: Horn W (ed) Genetic manipulation in plant breeding. Walter de Gruyter. Berlin New York, pp 351–353

    Google Scholar 

  • Srivastava JN, Chauhan SVS (1979) Studies in Raphanus sativus L. plants infested by Lipaphis erysimi Kalt. Curr Sci 48:639–641

    Google Scholar 

  • Srivastava JN, Chauhan SVS (1980) Anther development in Coriandrum sativum L. plants infected by Protomyces macrosporus Ung. Curr Sci 49:909–911

    Google Scholar 

  • Srivastava JN, Chauhan SVS (1981) Morphological and histochemical studies on pollen abortion in Solanum melongena L. plants infested by Meloidogyne incognita. Indian Phytopath 34:43–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Stanley RG, Linskins HF (eds) (1974) Pollen-biology, biochemistry, management. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Sunderland N (1984) Anther culture of Nicotiana tabacum. In: Vasil JK (ed) Cell culture and somatic cell genetics of plants vol 1. Academic Press, New York, pp 283–292

    Google Scholar 

  • Takagi S, Nomoto K, Takemoto T (1984) Physiological aspects of mugineic acid, a possible phytosiderophore of graminaceous plants. J Plant Nutr 7:469–477

    Google Scholar 

  • Tiwari SC, Gunning BES (1985) Colchicine inhibits plasmodium formation and disrupts pathways of sporopollenin secretion in the anther tapetum of Tradescantia virginiana L. Protoplasma 133:115–128

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Geyt J, D'Halluin K, Jacobs M (1985) Induction of nuclear and cell divisions in microspores of sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.). Z Pflanzenzücht 95:325–335

    Google Scholar 

  • Vesper MJ, Cross JW (1990) A chemical pollen suppressant inhibits auxin-induced growth in maize coleoptile sections. Plant Physiol 92:S-70

    Google Scholar 

  • Wehling K, Niester C, Boon JJ, Willemse MTM, Wiermann R (1989) P-Coumaric acid: a monomer in the sporopollenin skeleton. Planta 179:376–380

    Google Scholar 

  • Wenzel G, Foroughi-Wehr C (1984) Anther culture of cereals and grasses. In: Vasil IK (ed) Cell culture and somatic cell genetics of plants vol 1. Academic Press, New York, pp 311–327

    Google Scholar 

  • Weryeszko E, Ruszkowska M, Tomaszewski A (1983) Changes in oat, Avena sativa, flowers and inflorescences under conditions of copper deficiency. Acta Agrobot 36:49–58

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu FS, Murray LE (1985) Changes in protein and amino acid content during anther development in fertile and cytoplasmic male sterile Petunia. Theor Appl Genet 71:68–73

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeng ZR, King RW (1986) Regulation of grain number in wheat changes endogenous levels of abscisic acid. Aust J Plant Physiol 13:347–352

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. J. W. Cross

    Present address: EPL Bio-Analytical Services, Inc., P.O. Box 1708, 62525, Decatur, IL, USA

  2. J. A. R. Ladyman

    Present address: , 5917 Elmwood Drive, N.E., 87109, Albuquerque, NM, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, Hoagland Hall, University of California, 95616-8627, Davis, CA, USA

    J. W. Cross

  2. Plant Cell Research Institute, Inc., 6560 Trinity Court, 94568, Dublin, CA, USA

    J. A. R. Ladyman

Authors
  1. J. W. Cross
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. A. R. Ladyman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cross, J.W., Ladyman, J.A.R. Chemical agents that inhibit pollen development: tools for research. Sexual Plant Reprod 4, 235–243 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00200541

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00200541

Key words

Search

Navigation