Biological Chemistry Department, Chemical Science School, National University of Cordoba, Haya de la Torre s/n University Campus, 5000 Cordoba, Argentina.
Cellular and molecular basis of self-incompatibility in Solanaceae
The angiosperms have several mechanisms for controlling the fertilization process. One of the most sophisticated of such mechanisms is self-incompatibility, a phenomenon by which plants can recognize and reject their own pollen or closely related pollen, avoiding inbreeding and promoting intraspecific diversity. In Solanaceae and other families, self-incompatibility is regulated by the locus S, which consists of at least two highly polymorphic genes. One gene encodes and RNAse type S (S-RNase), the specificity factor on the female side. The other gene encodes the specificity factor on the pollen side, a protein designated as SLF. S-RNase and SLF are specifically expressed in the pistil and pollen, respectively, and they are inherited as a genetic unit, defining an haplotype. Different haplotypes raise from different versions (alleles) of S-ARNasa y SLF. Pollen rejection occurs when S-RNase and SLF share the same haplotype. Our laboratory is interested in the pathway of S-RNase once it gains the pollen tube, the interaction between S-RNase and SLF and the subcellular localization of S-RNase inside the pollen tube in compatible and incompatible pollinations.
