Anatomical differences on development of fertile and sterile pollen grains of Prunus salicina Lindl

RADICE S., ONTIVERO M., GIORDANI E. AND BELLINI E.

PLANT SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION

Springer Wien

Lugar: Viena; Año: 2008 vol. 273 p. 63 - 69

0378-2697

Anatomical changes occurring during the microsporogenic development of P. salicina Lindl. werestudied in male fertile and male sterile genotypes. Male fertile pollen grains showed three well determined pore regions, without ektexine. Intine was thick and surrounded the vegetative cell. Vegetative cells enclosed the generative cells; their cytoplasm was rich in plastids, abundant RERand active mitochondria. Development of sterile pollen was different from the meiosis step. Microspores did not show germination pores and ektexine was continuous around the whole grain. Pollen grains showed an atypical shape. The tapetum persisted after the tetrad stage and showed hypertrophy and vacuole development, resulting in abnormal microspore development. Only a few pollen grains and rudiments of collapsed microspores close to the anther wall were formed at anthesis.