Abstract
BackgroundKnown as the prerequisite component for the heterosis breeding system, the male sterile line determines the hybrid yield and seed purity. Therefore, a deep understanding of the mechanism and gene network that leads to male sterility is crucial. BS366, a temperature-sensitive genic male sterile (TGMS) line, is male sterile under cold conditions (12 °C with 12 h of daylight) but fertile under normal temperature (20 °C with 12 h of daylight).ResultsDuring meiosis, BS366 was defective in forming tetrads and dyads due to the abnormal cell plate. During pollen development, unusual vacuolated pollen that could not accumulate starch grains at the binucleate stage was also observed. Transcriptome analysis revealed that genes involved in the meiotic process, such as sister chromatid segregation and microtubule-based movement, were repressed, while genes involved in DNA and histone methylation were induced in BS366 under cold conditions. MethylRAD was used for reduced DNA methylation sequencing of BS366 spikes under both cold and control conditions. The differentially methylated sites (DMSs) located in the gene region were mainly involved in carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and transport. Differentially expressed and methylated genes were mainly involved in cell division.ConclusionsThese results indicated that the methylation of genes involved in carbon metabolism or fatty acid metabolism might contribute to male sterility in BS366 spikes, providing novel insight into the molecular mechanism of wheat male sterility.
Highlights
Known as the prerequisite component for the heterosis breeding system, the male sterile line deter‐ mines the hybrid yield and seed purity
Anther and pollen development was defective in BS366 under cold conditions Wheat temperature-sensitive genic male sterile (TGMS) line BS366 (Beijing Sterility 366) was selected from a natural mutant of doubled haploid lines in the experimental fields in Beijing
No difference is observed between the pollen mother cells (PMCs) of sterile and fertile BS366(Fig. 2a and e)
Summary
Known as the prerequisite component for the heterosis breeding system, the male sterile line deter‐ mines the hybrid yield and seed purity. Known as an environmentally sustainable and safe way to feed the increasing global population, heterosis has been shown to increase the crop yield by 3.5–15%. Male sterility is an unfavorable trait for individual plants, it plays critical roles in the utilization of heterosis by facilitating hybrid breeding [4]. Male sterility can be classified into cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) and genic male sterility (GMS). CMS is controlled by organelles genes and can be restored by nuclear restorer gene(s). In this condition, male sterility occurs under restrictive
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