title: Meiotic behavior and pollen viability in Moringa oleifera (Moringaceae) cultivated in southern Brazil.
abstract: Although originally from India, Moringa oleifera is now cultivated throughout most of the tropics, including Brazil. Despite its multipurpose value for food and traditional medicine, little is known about the meiotic behavior and pollen viability of M. oleifera. We evaluated microsporogenesis and pollen viability in eleven plants grown in southern Brazil (Maringá, Paraná). Bud flowers were collected in different stages of development. All plants that we analyzed presented 2n = 28 chromosomes, as previously reported for this species. Chromosomes paired as bivalents. Meiotic abnormalities were rare and metaphase I was the most affected phase. Pollen viability was superior to 88%. Tripolar spindles in metaphase II, leading to the formation of unreduced gametes, were recorded in some plants at a low frequency.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Celular e Genética, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Mendes-Bonato
authors.forename: J G C
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Sales
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Pagliarini
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D032461:Chromosomes, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D055993:Germ Cells, Plant; D008540:Meiosis; D008677:Metaphase; D029588:Moringa oleifera / Q000235:genetics* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D011058:Pollen / Q000378:metabolism*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins