In the male-fertile line of pepper, microsporogenesis and pollen development are normal. During meiosis, the meiocytes become encased in callose and a locular cavity forms. A rudimentary pollen wall, preceded by primexine deposition, is formed at the tetrad stage around the microspores before their release from the callose. The tapetum remains peripheral in the locule until the vacuolate pollen stage when it disappears. The sporogenous cells of the cytoplasmic male-sterile line complete meiosis, and the callose-encased microspores also deposit a primexine. Further development of the microspores is arrested. Before and during meiosis the tapetal cells become highly vacuolate and remain appressed to the meiocytes; a locular cavity is not formed. After primexine deposition, the tetrads of microspores, which are still encased in callose, seem to collapse as they are encroached upon by the vacuolate tapetum. After abortion of the microspores the outer tapetal layer degenerates, followed by the inner tapetal layer. The aborted mass late in anther development consists of crushed microspore tetrads, primary walls of the sporogenous cells and tapetum, callose, and the collapsed tapetum. The manner of abortion in pepper is compared with previously described mechanisms.
A combined small RNA and transcriptome sequencing analysis reveal regulatory roles of miRNAs during anther development of Upland cotton carrying cytoplasmic male sterile Gossypium harknessii (D2) cytoplasm
