Genomic stress and expression of apomixis in weeping lovegrass. Ciencias Agronómicas

JUAN MANUEL RODRIGO; DIEGO ZAPPACOSTA; VIVIANA ECHENIQUE

Bahía Blanca

Workshop; IV Ciclo de Seminarios sobre avances en la caracterización Genética y Molecular de la Apomixis en Gramíneas Forrajeras; 2014

CONICET

Over the past few years our research group has been analyzing the molecular mechanisms involved in the reproductive control of weeping lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula [Schrad.] Nees). The aim of this work was to study the effect of different factors that generate genomic stress on the expression of apomixis. For this purpose, embryo sacs of different weeping lovegrass genotypes were analyzed after the plants were subjected to water stress conditions. Plants of cv. Tanganyika INTA (Ti) subjected to water stress and control plants showed an average of 14% or 2% sexual embryo sacs, indicating an increment of sexuality under stress. After a rehydration period these plants showed an average of sexuality rate of 5.3 %, indicating a significant reduction in the number of sexual embryo sacs, being, however, significantly different from control plants. Plants of the cv. Tanganyika USDA(Tu) did not show at any time the ability to generate sexual embryo sacs and were classified as full apomictic.