Male Sterility and Hybrid Production Systems

Abstract

The ability to exploit the long known phenomenon of hybrid vigor or heterosis, the superior performance of the F1 hybrid compared to either parent line, has greatly impacted the goal of production agriculture to meet world food demands. Hybrid production systems rely on an efficient and effective mechanism for inducing male sterility in one of the parental lines in order to ensure purity of the resultant hybrid seed. Natural male sterility systems are available but are limited in their availability for all crops and their effectiveness in those for which they have been developed. This chapter discusses the means by which modern techniques of genetic engineering have broadened our ability to develop male sterile lines and improve hybrid production strategies. The chapter discusses the development of dominant male sterility systems using genetic ablation and developmental disruption strategies, conditional male sterility strategies and the genetic engineering of maintainer lines. The generation of novel and improved systems for hybrid production in the ongoing search for crop improvement has been, and continues to be, one of the major targets for transgenic manipulations within the agricultural biotechnological community.

AnAGAMOUSintron‐driven cytotoxin leads to flowerless tobacco and produces no detrimental effects on vegetative growth of either tobacco or poplar

“…Pollen-and seed-mediated transgene flow is difficult to control (Heuberger et al, 2010;Luo et al, 2007). It has been reported that pollen and seeds from poplar (P. trichocarpa) can be easily dispersed over long distances via wind, increasing the risk potential for transgene flow (DiFazio et al, 2012;Kausch et al, 2010;Oliver, 2004;Slavov et al, 2009;Zhang et al, 2012). In addition, pollen from poplar can induce allergic reactions in a large segment of the population (C ß elik et al, 2005).…”

“…In addition, pollen from poplar can induce allergic reactions in a large segment of the population (C ß elik et al, 2005). As vegetative propagation is preferred over sexual reproduction for most commercial cultivars of poplar, engineering flowerless poplar could provide an effective means to address pollen-and seed-mediated transgene flow and allergy problems (DiFazio et al, 2012;Kausch et al, 2010;Oliver, 2004;Zhang et al, 2012). Furthermore, with reproductive organs eliminated, more photosynthetic products can be used for vegetative growth, likely leading to improvement of biomass production.…”