Pollen-stigma capture is not species discriminant within the Brassicaceae family

Abstract

The capture of pollen on the stigma surface is the first stage of interactions following the initial contact of the male gametophyte with the female tissues. In order to analyse pollen adhesion, we used a biomechanical assay based on Archimedes flotation of pollinated pistils to measure the forces necessary to detach pollen populations from stigmas. A considerable homogeneity of early pollen-stigma adhesion in intra- and interspecific situations among the Brassicaceae was observed. On the contrary, pollination of Brassica oleracea stigmas by pollen from species of more distantly related families showed a significantly lower level of pollen adhesion. Crosses involving interspecific pollinations among the Brassicaceae are not blocked at the stage of pollen capture but rather at later stages of pollination such as hydration, germination or penetration of the pollen tube into the style. This control is not totally stringent, confirming the potential risk of escape of transgenes from cultivated Brassicaceae crops to their allied adventices through interspecific pollination.