Pollen–pistil interactions and early fruiting in parthenocarpic citrus

Distefano, Gaetano; Gentile, Alessandra; Herrero, M.

doi:10.1093/aob/mcr187

Cited by 26 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 78 publications

(76 reference statements)

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“…Reports in a wide range of species with different style types have provided evidence for a nutritive role for the transmitting tract, where starch depletion was coincident with pollen tube elongation [9,16,50-53]. The immunocytological localization described in this work provides further support for this idea.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

Glycoprotein composition along the pistil of Malus x domestica and the modulation of pollen tube growth

2014

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BackgroundThe characteristics of pollen tube growth are not constant, but display distinct patterns of growth within the different tissues of the pistil. In the stigma, the growth rate is slow and autotrophic, whereas in the style, it is rapid and heterotrophic. Very little is known about the interactions between these distinct maternal tissues and the traversing pollen tube and the role of this interaction on the observed metabolism. In this work we characterise pollen tube growth in the apple flower and look for differences in glycoprotein epitope localization between two different maternal tissues, the stigma and the style.ResultsWhile immunocytochemically-detected arabinogalactan proteins were present at high levels in the stigma, they were not detected in the transmitting tissue of the style, where extensins were abundant. Whereas extensins remained at high levels in unpollinated pistils, they were no longer present in the style following pollen tube passage. Similarily, while abundant in unpollinated styles, insoluble polysaccharides such as β-glucans, were depleted in pollinated pistils.ConclusionsThe switch from autotropic to heterotrophic pollen tube growth correlates spatially with a change of glycoprotein epitopes between the stigma and the style. The depletion of extensins and polysaccharides following pollen tube passage in the style suggest a possible contribution to the acceleration of heterotrophic pollen tube growth, which would imply an active contribution of female tissues on prezygotic male–female crosstalk.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

Glycoprotein composition along the pistil of Malus x domestica and the modulation of pollen tube growth

2014

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“…In pear flowers, pollination induces a prolongation of ovule and flower viability (Herrero & Gascon, ). And in some parthenocarpic fruits the reproductive process and the onset of fruiting are uncoupled (Distefano et al ., ). However, in apples, unpollinated flowers did not grow pointing to that pollination is required for this gynoecium growth.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

The influence of the progamic phase for fruiting in the apple tree

Losada

Herrero

2013

Annals of Applied Biology

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Final fruit production is the result of a number of processes, over which several environmental circumstances interact. But it is often difficult to disentangle the part played by each of these factors in the final crop. The aim of this work is to evaluate the influence of the progamic phase for fruiting in the apple tree. For this purpose we track back the process that goes from flower to fruit, identifying the inflection points where the final crop is reduced. We evaluate early versus late fruit development, pollination versus non-pollination, and the effect of the progamic phase that goes from pollination to fertilization. From flowers to fruits 15 weeks elapsed, but the final fruit set settled 8 weeks after flowering, and the main flower-fruit drop occurred 3-4 weeks after flowering. Differences between dropped fruits and those that remained in the tree emerged earlier, and the onset of fruiting started 7 days after pollination. This time was coincident with the time lapse of the progamic phase. These results show that fruiting gets established well ahead of cropping, but also that the progamic phase is the main determinant of the final fruit set in apple trees.

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“…This could be an adaptive feature in many multi‐ovulate systems, in which an increased number of male gametophytes is required to maximize the number of seeds. However, in mandarins (parthenocarpic Citrus L.; Rutaceae) (Kahn & DeMason, ; Distefano, Gentile & Herrero, ), there are fewer ovules in a locule (three to five) than those in A. marmelos (9–15). In the former, the stylar canal gradually becomes narrow towards the ovarian region, which possibly screens the tube number as a prezygotic male gametophyte selection mechanism (Distefano et al ., ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, in mandarins (parthenocarpic Citrus L.; Rutaceae) (Kahn & DeMason, ; Distefano, Gentile & Herrero, ), there are fewer ovules in a locule (three to five) than those in A. marmelos (9–15). In the former, the stylar canal gradually becomes narrow towards the ovarian region, which possibly screens the tube number as a prezygotic male gametophyte selection mechanism (Distefano et al ., ). However, in these systems, dilation of the stylar canal, in a similar manner to A. marmelos (presented here), has not been noted.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-incompatibility and post-fertilization maternal regulation cause low fecundity inAegle marmelos(Rutaceae)

Bhardwaj

Tandon

2013

Bot J Linn Soc

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Outbreeding confers an evolutionary advantage, and flowering plants have evolved a variety of contrivances for its maximization. However, neither fruit set nor seed set is realized to its fullest potential for a variety of reasons. The causes of low flower to fruit and seed to ovule ratios were investigated in naturally occurring bael trees (Aegle marmelos) at two sites for three seasons. The study established that the mass effect of synchronized flowering attracted a variety of insect pollinators to the generalist flowers; Apis dorsata was the most efficient pollinator. The seed to ovule ratio was low despite high natural pollination efficiency (c. 2400 pollen per stigma). Although pollination-induced structural and histochemical changes in the style allowed many (9.5 ± 2.1) pollen tubes to grow, only cross-pollen tubes could grow through the style. Gametophytic self-incompatibility, manifested in the stylar zone, resulted in a significantly slower growth rate of self-pollen tubes. The occurrence of obligate selfincompatibility, coupled with increased self-pollen deposition (geitonogamy), caused a significant number of flowers to abort. Fruit retention in the trees declined from 40% to 12% as a result of abortion of fruits at different stages of development. The number of mature fruits on a tree was negatively correlated (r = −0.82) with their size. It is inferred that low natural fecundity in A. marmelos is primarily a result of obligate self-incompatibility and strong post-fertilization maternal regulation of allocation of resources to the developing fruits.

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Pollen–pistil interactions and early fruiting in parthenocarpic citrus

Cited by 26 publications

References 78 publications

Glycoprotein composition along the pistil of Malus x domestica and the modulation of pollen tube growth

Glycoprotein composition along the pistil of Malus x domestica and the modulation of pollen tube growth

The influence of the progamic phase for fruiting in the apple tree

Self-incompatibility and post-fertilization maternal regulation cause low fecundity inAegle marmelos(Rutaceae)

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