title: Darwin's foundation for investigating self-incompatibility and the progress toward a physiological model for S-RNase-based SI.
abstract: Charles Darwin made extensive observations of the pollination biology of a wide variety of plants. He carefully documented the consequences of self-pollination and described species that were self-sterile but that could easily be crossed with other plants of the same species. He believed that compatibility was controlled by the 'mutual action' of pollen and pistil contents. A genetic model for self-sterility was developed in the early 1900 s based on studies of the compatibility relationships among, what are now referred to as, self-incompatible (SI) Nicotiana species. Today, it is believed that SI in these species is controlled by an interaction between S-RNases produced in the pistil and F-box proteins expressed in pollen and, moreover, that this S-RNase-based SI system is shared by a great diversity of other plant species. Current research is aimed at understanding how the mutual actions of these S-gene products function in the physiological context of pollen tube growth.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biochemistry, Interdisciplinary Plant Group, Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-7310, USA. mcclureb@missouri.edu
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McClure
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D049672:History, 19th Century; D008954:Models, Biological; D051479:Plant Infertility; D054817:Pollination / Q000502:physiology*; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012260:Ribonucleases