Summary
Differences in fertility restoration and mitochondrial nucleic acids permitted division of 25 accessions of S-type male sterile cytoplasm (cms-S) of maize into five subgroups: B/D, CA, LBN, ME, and S(USDA). S cytoplasm itself (USDA cytoplasm) was surprisingly not representative of cms-S, since only two other accessions, TC and I, matched its mitochondrial DNA pattern. CA was the predominant subgroup, containing 18 of the 25 accessions. The B/D and ME subgroups were the most fertile and LBN the most sterile. The exceptional sterility of LBN cytoplasm makes it the most promising of the 25 cms-S accessions for the production of hybrid seed. The most efficient means of quantifying the fertility of the subgroups was analysis of pollen morphology in plants having cms-S cytoplasm and simultaneously being heterozygous for nuclear restorer-of-fertility (Rf) genes. This method took advantage of the gametophytic nature of cms-S restoration. The inbred NY821LERf was found to contain at least two restorer genes for cms-S. Fertility differences were correlated with mitochondrial nucleic acid variation in the LBN, ME, and S (USDA) subgroups.
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Communicated by R. Hagemann
Paper No. 9498 of the Journal Series of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, NC
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Sisco, P.H., Gracen, V.E., Everett, H.L. et al. Fertility restoration and mitochondrial nucleic acids distinguish at least five subgroups among cms-S cytoplasms of maize (Zea mays L.). Theoret. Appl. Genetics 71, 5–15 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00278246
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00278246