title: Self-compatibility of two apricot selections is associated with two pollen-part mutations of different nature.
abstract: Loss of pollen-S function in Prunus self-compatible mutants has recently been associated with deletions or insertions in S-haplotype-specific F-box (SFB) genes. We have studied two self-compatible cultivars of apricot (Prunus armeniaca), Currot (S(C)S(C)) and Canino (S(2)S(C)), sharing the naturally occurring self-compatible (S(C))-haplotype. Sequence analysis showed that whereas the S(C)-RNase is unaltered, a 358-bp insertion is found in the SFB(C) gene, resulting in the expression of a truncated protein. The alteration of this gene is associated with self-incompatibility (SI) breakdown, supporting previous evidence that points to SFB being the pollen-S gene of the Prunus SI S-locus. On the other hand, PCR analysis of progenies derived from Canino showed that pollen grains carrying the S(2)-haplotype were also able to overcome the incompatibility barrier. However, alterations in the SFB(2) gene or evidence of pollen-S duplications were not detected. A new class of F-box genes encoding a previously uncharacterized protein with high sequence similarity (approximately 62%) to Prunus SFB proteins was identified in this work, but the available data rules them out of producing S-heteroallelic pollen and thus the cause of the pollen-part mutation. These results suggest that cv Canino has an additional mutation, not linked to the S-locus, which causes a loss of pollen-S activity when present in pollen. As a whole, these findings support the proposal that the S-locus products besides other S-locus independent factors are required for gametophytic SI in Prunus.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias, 46113 Moncada Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vilanova
authors.forename: María Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Badenes
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Burgos
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martínez-Calvo
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Llácer
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Romero
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D017343:Genes, Plant; D006239:Haplotypes; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011058:Pollen / Q000378:metabolism*; D027861:Prunus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins