DNA damage in the early primordial anther is closely correlated with stamen arrest in the female flower of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.).
To investigate the regulatory mechanisms of sex expression in cucumber, morphological observations and biochemical analyses were carried out on inappropriate stamen development of female flowers of cucumber. It was found that developmental arrest of the inappropriate stamen mainly occurs at the anther primordium. This arrest is closely correlated with DNA damage, as detected by TUNEL assay, and might result from anther-specific DNase activation. It was also found that the DNA damage does not lead to cell degeneration, although chromatin condensation is observed in the anther primordia.
Hao
Yu-Jin
YJ
PKU-Yale Joint Research Center of Agricultural and Plant Molecular Biology, National Key Laboratory of Protein Engineering and Plant Gene Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, 5 Yiheyuan Road, 100871 Beijing, China.
Wang
Dong-Hui
DH
Peng
Yi-Ben
YB
Bai
Su-Lan
SL
Xu
Li-Yun
LY
Li
Yi-Qin
YQ
Xu
Zhi-Hong
ZH
Bai
Shu-Nong
SN
D017209:Apoptosis; D018553:Cucumis sativus / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D004249:DNA Damage; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D035264:Flowers / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling
D018744:DNA, Plant