Study of sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) with male-sterility gene using CAPS markers

Abstract

The frequency of open-pollinated male-sterile seedlings from a male-sterile mother tree in Cryptomeria japonica D. Don was determined in 765 open-pollinated seedlings. Pollen was not formed by 29 out of the 765 seedlings. To find pollen donor candidates for 29 male-sterile seedlings, a male-sterile tree was crossed with five individuals in the neighborhood of the mother tree. Analysis of microspores in male flowers of F1 seedlings revealed that one of the five individuals had a heterozygous male-sterility gene. Paternity tests were conducted on the 29 male-sterile seedlings using eight kinds of CAPS markers in C. japonica. The pollen parents of 29 male-sterile seedlings were not only a tree in the neighborhood of the mother tree, but also other trees. Since it was found that the pollen parents of four of the male-sterile seedlings were not in the study plot, it was inferred that C. japonica trees that possess the male-sterility gene grow in other places and may be widely distributed.