Male-sterile plants are used in hybrid breeding as well as for gene confinement for genetically modified plants in field trials and agricultural production. Apart from naturally occurring mutations leading to male sterility, biotechnology has added new possibilities for obtaining male-sterile plants, although so far only one system is used in practical breeding due to limitations in propagating...

In common bean, cytoplasmic male sterility has been associated with a unique sequence found in the mitochondrial genome, designated pvs (for Phaseolus vulgaris sterility sequence). Within the pvs sequence, two open reading frames are encoded, ORF98 and ORF239. We have raised rabbit polyclonal antibodies against Pvs-ORF239 to evaluate the role of this putative male sterility-associated protein. ...

Members of the glucan synthase-like (GSL) family are believed to be involved in synthesis of the cell-wall component callose in specialized locations throughout the plant. We identified two members of the Arabidopsis GSL gene family, GSL8 and GSL10, that are independently required for male gametophyte development and plant growth. Analysis of gsl8 and gsl10 mutant pollen during development reve...

This study investigated ovule and anther structure of the `Trevatt Blue' variety of apricot (Prunus armeniaca) using bright field microscopy following reports of low fruit set. Ovules and anthers from fertile `Moorpark' and `Trevatt Knight' flowers were compared with those of the `Trevatt Blue'. In the `Moorpark' and `Trevatt Knight' ovules, all reproductive structures were present including em...

Stress-induced plant cell reprogramming involves changes in global genome organization, being the epigenetic modifications key factors in the regulation of genome flexibility. DNA methylation, accomplished by DNA methyltransferases, constitutes a prominent epigenetic modification of the chromatin fibre which is locked in a transcriptionally inactive conformation. Changes in DNA methylation acco...

The change in developmental fate of microspores reprogrammed toward embryogenesis is a complex but fascinating experimental system where microspores undergo dramatic changes derived from the developmental switch. After 40 years of study of the ultrastructural changes undergone by the induced microspores, many questions are still open. In this work, we analyzed the architecture of DNA-containing...

The Arabidopsis male sterility1 mutation results in mature anthers that are devoid of pollen. Meiosis and early development progress normally; however, after microspore release, the microspore cytoplasm and tapetum become abnormally granular and vacuolated, and degeneration occurs. Pollen wall development is seriously affected; primexine formation within the callose wall appears to occur normal...