Sexual reproduction of white spruce (Picea glauca)

1979 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 152-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
John N. Owens ◽  
Marje Molder

Reproductive buds broke dormancy at the same time as vegetative buds. Pollen mother cells entered prophase of meiosis immediately after dormancy and five-celled, winged pollen was mature about 6 weeks later. Megasporogenesis occurred 3 weeks after microsporogenesis and the female gametophyte was mature in about 6 weeks. Pollination occurred over about 1 week in late May or early June and fertilization occurred about 3 weeks after pollination. One to four archegonia developed. A comparable number of 16-celled proembryos usually developed within 1 week after fertilization and cotyledons began to develop about 1 month after fertilization. Simple polyembryony occurred in most ovules but cleavage polyembryony was not observed. Embryos were fully developed in late August and seeds were mature and shed in September.The small number of archegonia often present, the high incidence of self-pollination, which may have been the cause of the high frequency of early embryo abortion, and the failure of basal and distal ovules to become pollinated were major causes of empty seed.The phenology of reproductive development varied with the site and the elevation but varied little at one site in successive years. Differences were greatest early in the growing season, but by the time of fertilization, higher elevation trees which began development much later had nearly caught up with lower elevation trees and seeds from all sites were mature and shed at about the same time.Reproductive bud dormancy like vegetative bud dormancy was broken in response to photo-period rather than temperature; however, subsequent cone development was greatly affected by temperature.


1977 ◽  
Vol 55 (21) ◽  
pp. 2728-2745 ◽  
Author(s):  
John N. Owens ◽  
Marje Molder ◽  
Hilary Langer

Vegetative buds of Picea glauca (Moench) Voss were studied throughout the annual growth cycle in several trees in 1975 and 1976 and bud development was related to lateral vegetative shoot growth, date, and temperature sums.Vegetative buds became mitotically active in mid-April at lower elevations and about 6 weeks later at higher elevations. Shoot elongation was characterized by similar smooth sigmoid curves in both years. Shoot growth was slow for the 1st month, rapid during the 2nd month, and slow again for the 3rd month and ended by early August. Temperature sums related best to percentage of shoot elongation if the end of vegetative bud dormancy was used as the starting date and 5 °C was used as the threshold temperature. Arbitrarily chosen starting dates and threshold temperatures gave temperature sums which were related to shoot elongation only when shoot elongation was nearly completed. Generally, if the end of vegetative bud dormancy is known, the number of days from that time is nearly as accurate as the more complex use of temperature sums in predicting the percentage of shoot elongation or the stage of vegetative bud development.Bud-scale initiation occurred during shoot elongation. Axillary buds were initiated in mid-May and flushing occurred when shoots had elongated to about 30% of their final length in late May or early June. The end of shoot elongation coincided with the onset of leaf initiation on all trees in both years. The change from bud-scale initiation to leaf initiation was preceded by a marked increase in apical width and a slight increase in apical height and mitotic frequency. Leaf initiation was rapid for 6 weeks then slower for the last 4 weeks. Vegetative buds became dormant in mid-October.Vegetative bud development is closely related to shoot elongation. Breaking of vegetative bud dormancy was not affected by temperature but shoot elongation and flushing were affected by temperatures which occurred after dormancy was broken.



1977 ◽  
Vol 55 (21) ◽  
pp. 2746-2760 ◽  
Author(s):  
John N. Owens ◽  
Marje Molder

Pollen-cone and seed-cone buds of Picea glauca (Moench) Voss occurred as either terminal or axillary buds. All apices initiated bud scales from late April until mid-July and then differentiated into vegetative, pollen-cone, or seed-cone apices. Potentially pollen-cone apices were usually smaller, had a lower mitotic frequency, and initiated fewer bud scales than potentially vegetative or seed-cone apices. In late July a marked increase in mitotic frequency occurred in differentiating reproductive apices resulting in changes in apical size, shape, and zonation. Leaf, bract, and microsporophyll initiation began at the end of July. All microsporophylls were initiated by early October when pollen-cone buds became dormant. Sporogenous cells had differentiated but meiosis had not begun. Bract initiation began in early August and ovuliferous scale initiation began in late August. Initiation of both stopped in mid-October when seed-cone buds became dormant. Megaspore mother cells were present in dormant seed-cone buds but had not begun meiosis.There was no difference in the time of vegetative, pollen-cone, or seed-cone bud differentiation at the four locations from which collections were made in 1975 and 1976. Differentiation coincided with the end of lateral shoot elongation which was during the last half of July. These results agree with another report from one location in Ontario. Temperature sums also could be an accurate method of determining the time of cone-bud differentiation if calculations were based on the end of vegetative bud dormancy rather than on more arbitrary starting dates. The methods may be applicable to other members of the Pinaceae to determine the optimal time for cone induction treatments.



2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Zhao ◽  
Hui Li ◽  
Guangxin Chen ◽  
Lijun Du ◽  
Peiyan Xu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Aneuploidy is the most frequent cause of early-embryo abortion. Any defect in chromosome segregation would fail to satisfy the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) during mitosis, halting metaphase and causing aneuploidy. The mitotic checkpoint complex (MCC), comprising MAD1, MAD2, Cdc20, BUBR1 and BUB3, plays a vital role in SAC activation. Studies have confirmed that overexpression of MAD2 and BUBR1 can facilitate correct chromosome segregation and embryo stability. Research also proves that miR-125b negatively regulates MAD1 expression by binding to its 3′UTR. However, miR-125b, Mad1 and Bub3 gene expression in aneuploid embryos of spontaneous abortion has not been reported to date. Methods In this study, embryonic villi from miscarried pregnancies were collected and divided into two groups (aneuploidy and euploidy) based on High-throughput ligation-dependent probe amplification (HLPA) and Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses. RNA levels of miR-125b, MAD1 and BUB3 were detected by Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR); protein levels of MAD1 and BUB3 were analysed by Western blotting. Results statistical analysis (p < 0.05) showed that miR-125b and BUB3 were significantly down-regulated in the aneuploidy group compared to the control group and that MAD1 was significantly up-regulated. Additionally, the MAD1 protein level was significantly higher in aneuploidy abortion villus, but BUB3 protein was only mildly increased. Correlation analysis revealed that expression of MAD1 correlated negatively with miR-125b. Conclusion These results suggest that aneuploid abortion correlates positively with MAD1 overexpression, which might be caused by insufficient levels of miR-125b. Taken together, our findings first confirmed the negative regulatory mode between MAD1 and miR-125b, providing a basis for further mechanism researches in aneuploid abortion.



Author(s):  
Neelam Bhardwaj ◽  
Tanuja Kapoor ◽  
Parveen Sharma

Background: Ricebean [Vigna umbellata (Thunb.) Ohwi and Ohashi] is a multipurpose grain legume of Mid-Himalayan region mainly cultivated for food, fodder, green manure and has emerged as a good alternative to other pulse crops such as blackgram and greengram which do not flourish in this region due to their susceptibility to cold temperature stress. It is well reported that the nutritional value of ricebean is higher as compared to many other legumes of the Vigna family and has some superior qualities greater than greengram, blackgram and cowpea. It is also resistance to drought, diseases and pests specially the storage pests during growth period and possesses high percentage of seed viability. Despite having all the favourable traits, it is not much popular among the farmers due to the late maturity and indeterminate growth habit. Instead, farmers prefer other crops which fit easily into their cropping pattern and are easy to harvest. A little genetic improvement with respect to maturity and growth habit can revive its cultivation and show great results in its production as a valuable crop. Thus, the present investigation was formulated to introgress desired traits from mash and adzukibean into otherwise high yielding ricebean genotypes using inter-specific hybridization. Methods: The present investigation involves the inter-specific hybridization among three Vigna species viz, ricebean (Vigna umbellata), blackgram (Vigna mungo) and adzukibean (Vigna angularis). In the year 2017, six genotypes of ricebean (RBHP-36, RBHP-38, RBHP-43, RBHP-61, RBHP-107 and RBHP-108) were crossed with two genotypes of blackgram (HimMash-1 and Palampur-93) and one genotype of adzukibean (HPU-51) in glasshouse conditions. Result: The study revealed that successful crosses were possible only between ricebean and blackgram. All the Inter-specific crosses showed very low pod set percentage ranging from 0 -4% and F1 germination percentage ranging from 20-42%. Pod set percentage and pods harvested varied with combinations of two parental cultivars of each species for most of the inter-specific hybrids. The successful pod set was observed in 16 out of 36 inter-specific crosses. Highest crossability was observed in blackgram and ricebean crosses. Crossing of adzukibean with ricebean showed poor or no pod set among the entire cross combinations which are attributed to early embryo abortion and degeneration during embryogenesis.



Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 266
Author(s):  
Oliver Caré ◽  
Oliver Gailing ◽  
Markus Müller ◽  
Konstantin V. Krutovsky ◽  
Ludger Leinemann

Norway spruce differs little in neutral genetic markers among populations and provenances often reported, but in terms of putative adaptive traits and their candidate genes, some clear differences have been observed. This has previously been shown for crown morphotypes. Stands with mostly narrow crown shapes are adapted to high elevation conditions, but these stands are scattered, and the forest area is often occupied by planted stands with predominantly broad crowned morphotypes. This raises questions on whether this differentiation can remain despite gene flow, and on the level of gene flow between natural and planted stands growing in close neighbourhood. The locally adapted stands are a valuable seed source, the progeny of which is expected to have high genetic quality and germination ability. The presented case study is useful for spruce plantation by demonstrating evaluation of these expectations. Immigrant pollen and seeds from planted trees could be maladaptive and may alter the genetic composition of the progeny. This motivated us to study single tree progenies in a locally adapted stand with narrow crowned trees in a partial mast year at nuclear genomic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Spruce is a typical open-pollinated conifer tree species with very low selfing rates, which were also observed in our study (s = 0.3–2.1%) and could be explained by efficient cross-pollination and postzygotic early embryo abortion, common in conifers. The estimated high amount of immigrant pollen found in the pooled seed lot (70.2–91.5%) is likely to influence the genetic composition of the seedlings. Notably, for individual mother trees located in the centre of the stand, up to 50% of the pollen was characterised as local. Seeds from these trees are therefore considered to retain most of the adaptive variance of the stand. Germination percentage varied greatly between half-sib families (3.6–61.9%) and was negatively correlated with relatedness and positively with effective pollen population size of the respective families. As pollen mostly originated from outside the stand and no family structures in the stand itself were found, germination differences can likely be explained by diversity differences in the individual pollen cloud.



2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (21) ◽  
pp. 6229-6244
Author(s):  
Gang Li ◽  
Wenxuan Zou ◽  
Liufang Jian ◽  
Jie Qian ◽  
Jie Zhao

Abstract Embryogenesis is an essential process during seed development in higher plants. It has previously been shown that mutation of the Arabidopsis non-SMC element genes AtNSE1 or AtNSE3 leads to early embryo abortion, and their proteins can interact with each other directly. However, the crucial regions of these proteins in this interaction and how the proteins are cytologically involved in Arabidopsis embryo development are unknown. In this study, we found that the C-terminal including the Ring-like motif of AtNSE1 can interact with the N-terminal of AtNSE3, and only the Ring-like motif is essential for binding with three α motifs of AtNSE2 (homologous to AtMMS21). Using genetic assays and by analysing molecular markers of cell fate decisions (STM, WOX5, and WOX8) in mutant nse1 and nse3 embryos, we found that AtNSE1 and AtNSE3 work non-redundantly in early embryo development, and that differentiation of the apical meristem and the hypophysis fails in the mutants, which have disrupted auxin transportation and responses. However, the upper cells of the suspensor in the mutants seem to have proper embryo cell identity. Cytological examination showed that cell death occurred from the early embryo stage, and that vacuolar programmed cell death and necrosis in the nse1 and nse3 mutant embryos led to ovule abortion. Thus, AtNSE1 and AtNSE3 are essential for maintaining cell viability and growth during early embryogenesis. Our results improve our understanding of the functions of SMC5/6 complex in early embryogenesis in Arabidopsis.



1984 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 484-494 ◽  
Author(s):  
John N. Owens

Seed cones of Tsuga mertensiana (Bong) Carr. occur terminally on distal lateral branches and form from the differentiation of a terminal, previously vegetative apex, into a seed-cone apex. Pollen cones commonly occur on lateral branches and form from the differentiation of an undetermined axillary apex about 6 weeks after axillary bud initiation. Pollen cones also occasionally occur terminally. All cone buds began differentiation in late July after bud-scale initiation was complete and at about the end of lateral shoot elongation. Seed-cone buds initiated bracts and ovuliferous scales, but not ovules, before they became dormant at the end of October. Pollen-cone buds initiated all microsporophylls by early September. Microsporangia containing microspore mother cells differentiated before pollen-cone buds became dormant in mid-October. The time of cone-bud differentiation is related to vegetative bud and shoot development. The time and method of cone-bud differentiation is discussed in relation to T. heterophylla and other conifers having similar bud development.



1979 ◽  
Vol 57 (23) ◽  
pp. 2673-2690 ◽  
Author(s):  
John N. Owens ◽  
Marje Molder

Pollen-cone and seed-cone buds broke dormancy about 2 weeks before vegetative buds on the same tree. Pollen mother cells, which had over-wintered at pachytene or the diffuse stage of meiosis, resumed meiosis and tetrads of microspores were formed by mid-March. Wingless five-celled mature pollen developed by mid-to late April when pollination occurred.When development resumed after dormancy a ring of meristematic tissue formed the integument around the nucellus. The integument tip developed a short abaxial tip and a large adaxial lobe on which developed numerous long stigmatic hairs. A slit-like micropyle remained between the two lips. Several pollen grains usually adhered to the stigmatic hairs and then the two lips grew into the micropyle, engulfing the pollen. No pollination drop was observed. Within the micropylar canal, pollen greatly elongated then formed a pollen tube when the elongated pollen contacted the nucellus.Megaspore mother cells underwent meiosis at the time of pollination. Female gametophyte development, which was the same as in most other members of the Pinaceae, was completed in early June and two to five archegonia were formed. Fertilization occurred in early June, 6 to 8 weeks after pollination. A 16-celled proembryo developed. Simple polyembryony was common but cleavage polyembryony was not observed. Embryo development was similar to other members of the Pinaceae. Embryos and seeds were mature by mid-August.Normal appearing but inviable seed is common in L. occidentalis because the ovule is fully enlarged and the seed coat well developed at fertilization. Inviable seed commonly resulted from the absence of pollination, inviable pollen, lack of fertilization, later ovule abortion, or embryo abortion, primarily during early embryonic stages. Flat empty seed also occurred and resulted from abortion of the megaspore mother cell or early female gametophyte.



1987 ◽  
Vol 106 (2) ◽  
pp. 225-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID I. DUNSTAN ◽  
GINA H. MOHAMMED ◽  
TREVOR A. THORPE
Keyword(s):  


1962 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 659-668 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Fraser

Apical and radial growth, and the developmental anatomy of vegetative and reproductive buds of Picea glauca, were investigated. Apical growth of the leader occurred from mid-May until mid-July, that of the side branches from mid-May until late June or early July. Total apical growth of the side branches, in general, diminished with their distance from the leader. Initiation of radial growth started in the main axis behind the terminal bud and moved basipetally along the trunk. Cessation of radial growth followed the same order.The apex of the vegetative bud developed in late July or early August includes a central zone, a peripheral zone with needle primordia, and a basal zone of thick-walled cells. Reproductive buds could be recognized by early August as oblong structures with globose appendages. By mid-August, these appendages had differentiated into either pollen sacs with pollen mother cells in the male buds, or into bracts and ovuliferous scales in the female ones. The female cone entered winter with little visible internal differentiation. The influence of temperature fluctuations on vegetative and reproductive growth is discussed.



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