| Abstract Detail
Pollination Biology Lofty, Christopher [1], Stoeva-Popova, Pravda [1], Smith III, Julian [1]. Microscopic Examination of Epidermal Floral Organ Cell Size in Tomato Species and the Specific Effect of Cytoplasmic Male Sterility. Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) and the genetics underlying it have been studied in many species. The main effect of CMS is observed in staminal development: stamens are greatly reduced, with anthers void of functional pollen. Other changes correlated with the CMS phenotype are changes in the second whorl, affecting petal size and color. In tomato species,CMS does not occur naturally; however, crossing Solanum peruvianum (pistillate parent) with S. pennellii (pollen parent) successfully yielded CMS-pennellii (CMS-p), possessing a CMS phenotype. 
Here we have focused on the comparative analysis of the size of epidermal cells from abaxial and adaxial sides of petals and stamens of mature flowers from CMS-p, S. pennellii, S. peruvianum, S. lycopersicum and three S. lycopersicum X CMS-p hybrids.
Epidermal surface profile area (cell size) was measured by confocal laser-scanning microscopy (CLSM) in petals and stamens stained with calcofluor and additionally in anthers prepared for scanning electronmicroscopy (SEM). Both CLSM and SEM gave statistically identical measurements of cell size. Statistical analysis across species and organs revealed both species- and floral organ-specific differences in epidermal cell sizes.
 The observed significant reduction of the cell sizes on both surfaces of the anthers can largely explain the smaller anthers in CMS-p. On the other hand, CMS-p filaments are considerably longer than the filaments of S. pennellii, which, in view of the reduced cell sizes in CMS-p, implies increased cell division and probably an alteration in the proportions of cells differentiating into filament and anther tissue. The results for petals indicate that the reduction of the size of the petals in the CMS-p can be a consequence of reduced rate of cell division. In summary, our results suggest that CMS affects cell enlargement, cell division and the developmental pattern of cells in stamens and petals. Broader Impacts:
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Tomato Genetics Cooperative
Department of Biology Winthrop University
1 - Winthrop University, Biology, 701 Oakland Avenue, Rock Hill, SC, 29733, USA
Keywords:
cytoplasmic male sterility
tomato
Solanum pennellii
Solanum peruvianum
Solanum lycopersicum
CMS-pennellii
abaxial
adaxial
Petal
Stamen.
Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Topics
Session: P
Location: Khorassan Ballroom/Chase Park Plaza
Date: Monday, July 11th, 2011
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PPL006
Abstract ID:687 |
