Comparative Studies on the Changes of Microtubule Distribution and Reorganization During the Meiotic Stages of Development in Normal (IR36) and a Temperature/photoperiod Sensitive Male Sterile Line (Peiai 64S) of Rice ( Oryza sativa )

Changes in the pattern of organization of microtubules in the meiotic stages of development of pollen (i.e. from pre-meiotic interphase to more or less metaphase I) of a normal (IR36) and a temperature/photoperiod sensitive male sterile line (Peiai 64S) of rice were studied using immunofluorescence confocal microscopy. In IR36, from pre-meiotic interphase to metaphase I, the pattern of microtubule distribution in the meiocytes underwent a series of changes. Some new organizational patterns of microtubules (that have not been described before) were observed during microsporogenesis, including the existence of a broad band of perinuclear microtubules at the diakinesis stage of development. The pattern of microtubule distribution in the meiocytes of the male sterile line, Peiai 64S, was quite different front that seen in IR36. In Peiai 64S, the microtubules showed abnormal patterns of distribution from pre-meiotic interphase to metaphase I. For example the broad band of perinuclear microtubules seen at diakinesis in IR36 was much disorganized and loosened in Peiai 64S. The spindles formed were also very abnormal and different from the normal spindle. The appearance of abnormal microtubule distribution in the early stages of microsporogenesis may contribute to the malformation and ultimate abortion of pollen in Peiai 64S.

New Temperature Sensitive Genic Male Sterile Lines with Better Outcrossing Ability for Production of Two-Line Hybrid Rice

An investigation was carried out with three newly developed temperature sensitive genic male sterile （TGMS） lines for their floral traits, seed production potential and outcrossing ability in ten cross combinations. In the TGMS lines, fertile pollens had an average diameter of 0.89 mm while the sterile pollens was with 0.02 mm diameter.TS-29-150GY produced the biggest fertile pollens with 0.92 mm and other two lines produced relatively smaller pollens with 0.91 and 0.85 ram. Pollen fertility during the fertility reversion period was an average of 60.7%. TS-29-150GY had the maximum of 66.9% spikelet fertility whereas other two lines （TNAU18S and TNAU60S） had relatively lower spikelet fertility of 27.8% and 26.7%, respectively. Average of 17.00 g of seed yield was obtained in the TGMS lines during the fertility reversion period. TS-29- 150GY had the highest value of 21.20 g of seed yield while TNAU18S and TNAU60S produced 16.6 g and 13.2 g of seed yield, respectively. The low seed production ability of these three TGMS lines was attributed only to the environmental conditions prevailing during the period. All three TGMS lines had considerable outcrossing potential of 41.2%, 24.6% and 25.0%, respectively. The cross combinations viz. TNAU18S/IET21508 （36 g/plant）, TNAU18S/IET21044 （13 g/plant）, TNAU18S/IET21009 （26.5 g/plant）, TNAU60S/CB-09-106 （26.2 g/plant）, TNAU60S/IET21009 （14 g/plant） and TS29-150-GY/DRR 3306 （39.2 g/plant） showed perfect synchronization with acceptable hybrid seed yield, indicating suitability of TGMS system under Indian condition. Based on the outcrossing related traits viz. panicle exertion, angle of glume opening, stigma length and pollen size, TNAU18S was identified as the best, followed by TS-29-150GY.

Research Progress on Fertility of Two-line Male Sterile Rice Lines

Great achievements have been made in the exploration of male sterile resources, gene mapping and cloning and molecular mechanism revealing, as well as in breeding and application of two-line rice in China. This paper briefly reviewed the discovery, types and cloning of sterile genes in rice and molecular breeding of two-line rice, and summarized the research progress of critical sterility inducing temperature, so as to provide new ideas for the research and breeding of two-line hybrid rice.

A recessive gene controlling male sterility sensitive to short daylength/low temperature in wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)

Utilization of a two-line breeding system via photoperiod-thermo sensitive male sterility has a great potential for hybrid production in wheat （Triticum aestivum L.）. 337S is a novel wheat male sterile line sensitive to both short daylength/Iow temperature and long daylength/high temperature. Five F2 populations derived from the crosses between 337S and five common wheat varieties were developed for genetic analysis. All Fl＇s were highly fertile while segregation occurred in the F2 populations with a ratio of 3 fertile：l sterile under short daylength/Iow temperature. It is shown that male sterility in 337S was controlled by a single recessive gene, temporarily designated as wptms3. Bulked segregant analysis （BSA） coupled with simple sequence repeat （SSR） markers was applied to map the sterile gene using one mapping population. The wptms3 gene was mapped to chromosome arm 1BS and flanked byXgwm413 and Xgwm182 at a genetic distance of 3.2 and 23.5 cM, respectively. The accuracy and efficiency of marker-assisted selection were evaluated and proved essential for identifying homozygous recessive male sterile genotypes of the wptms3 gene in F2 generation.