Abstract
Main conclusion
This work mainly found that the stigma and style of Q. variabilis did not completely lose the specific recognition towards heterologous pollen, a fact which is different from previous studies.
Abstract
Quercus is the foundation species in the Northern Hemisphere, with extreme prevalence for interspecific hybridization. It is not yet entirely understood whether or how the pollen tube-female tissue interaction contributes to the “extensive hybridization” in oaks. Pollen storage conditions correlate with distant hybridization. We conducted hybridization experiments with Q. variabilis as female and Q. variabilis and Q. mongolica as male parents. And the differences in pollen tube (PT) development between intra- and distant interspecific hybridization were studied by fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Our results showed that –20 °C allowed pollen of both species to maintain some viability. Both Q. variabilis and Q. mongolica pollen germinated profusely on the stigmas. SEM results indicated that in the intraspecific hybridization, Q. variabilis pollen started to germinate at 6 h after pollination (hap), PTs elongated significantly at 12 hap, and entered the stigma at 24 hap. By contrast, Q. mongolica pollen germinated at 15 hap, and the PTs entered the stigma at 27 hap. By fluorescence microscopical studies it was observed that some PTs of Q. variabilis gathered at the style-joining at 96 hap, unlike the Q. mongolica which reached the style junction at 144 hap. The above results indicate that the abundant germination of heterologous pollen (HP) on the stigma and the “Feeble specificity recognition” of the stigma and transmitting tract to HP may create opportunities for the “extensive hybridization” of oaks. This work provides a sexual developmental reference for clarifying the causes of Quercus “extensive hybridization”.
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Data availability
The datasets generated during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Abbreviations
- dap:
-
Days after pollination
- hap:
-
Hours after pollination
- PT(s):
-
Pollen tube(s)
- TT:
-
Transmitting tract
- TTC:
-
2,3,5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride
- HP:
-
Heterologous pollen
- SEM:
-
Scanning electron microscopy
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This work was funded by the National Key R&D Program of China (2021YFD2200302) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (PTYX202338). We thank the other students in our lab for their assistance.
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YL and YS conceived the research project. MK conceived designed research, and wrote the first manuscript. HS and YQ coordinated the study and help to complete the experiments. YAK provided guidance on writing articles and revised the manuscript. ZW, SL, KL, HY and RH supplied the experimental site and materials. All authors read and approved the manuscript.
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Ke, M., Si, H., Qi, Y. et al. Characterization of pollen tube development in distant hybridization of Chinese cork oak (Quercus variabilis L.). Planta 258, 110 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-023-04265-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-023-04265-2