[Comparative study on meiotic behavior and pollen development of medicinal plants Liriope spicata var. prolifera and L. spicata].
OBJECTIVE
To reveal the mechanism of sterility of Liriope spicata var. prolifera.


METHODS
Meiotic behavior and pollen development of L. spicata var. prolifera were described in detail. Its proto-variety L. spicata was also investigated for comparison.


RESULTS
During the meiosis of microspore mother cells (MMC), most of cells displayed normally in L. spicata, but abnormally in L. spicata var. prolifera. The abnormity was showed that: some chromosomes or their fragments moved out of the spindle of the cell at metaphase; some chromosome bridges, fragments and lagging ones were formed at anaphase; and many microspores displayed the micronucleus at the telophase. The pollen development was abnormal in L. spicata var. prolifera and normal in L. spicata, with the aberration rate of pollen was 95.81% and 3.44% separately.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that some abnormalities of meiotic behavior and pollen development are main reasons for inducing microspore abortion during its development.
Zhou
Qun
Q
Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource Evaluation, Tongji School of Pharmaceutical Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. zqtcm@163.com
Zhou
Jianqiu
J
Wang
Jingjing
J
Lu
Wenliang
W
Wang
Xiaogang
X
Chen
Jiachun
J
D031424:Liriope Plant / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D008540:Meiosis / Q000502:physiology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D011058:Pollen / Q000502:physiology*