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Embryological study of a female partially sterile soybean mutant using confocal scanning laser microscopy^*

Telma N.S. Pereira^I; Hilal Ilarslan^II; Reid G. Palmera^III

^IUniversidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense (UENF). Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Agropecuarias (CCTA). Laboratório de Melhoramento Genético Vegetal (LMGV). Av. Alberto Lamego 2000, Horto, 28015-620 Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brasil. Send correspondence to T.N.S.P.
^IIPost-doctoral researcher, Agronomy Department, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA
^IIIResearcher Geneticist, USDA ARS FCR and Departments of Agronomy and Zoology/Genetics, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, 50011, USA

ABSTRACT

A partially sterile soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) mutant 1 (PS-1) was recovered in a transposon gene tagging study. This mutant is characterized by a reduced number of seeds per pod. Ovules from the PS-1 mutant were investigated with confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM). It was found that early embryo abortion in PS-1 is due to abnormalities associated with secondary endosperm nucleus migration. At fertilization the secondary endosperm nucleus did not migrate to its normal position, close to the egg cell. This prevented double fertilization, which resulted in nonformation of endosperm, and consequently early embryo abortion.

Keywords: embryological study; sterile; soybean mutant.

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* From the Field Crops Research Unit, US, Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, and the Departments of Agronomy, and Zoology/Genetics, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011-1010 (Palmer and Ilarslan, USA. Joint contribution as Journal Paper J-16411 of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames, IA. Project No. 2985.