Metabolic Alterations in Male-Sterile Potato as Compared to Male-Fertile

Abstract

The common potato, Solanum tuberosum L., is the fourth most important agricultural crop worldwide. Until recently, vegetative propagation by tubers has been the main method of potato cultivation. A shift of interest to sexual potato reproduction by true botanical seeds is due to the appearance of a new hybrid seed breeding strategy whose successful application for many crop species has been supported by male sterility. This investigation was focused on the study of differences in the metabolite profiles of anthers at the mature pollen stage from male-fertile and male-sterile genotypes of S. tuberosum. Application of gas chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometry method allowed detection of metabolic profiles for 192 compounds. Further data analysis with several libraries fully identified 75 metabolites; a similar amount was defined up to the classes. Metabolic profiles in the anthers of fertile genotypes were significantly distinguished from male-sterile ones by the accumulation of carbohydrates, while the anthers of sterile genotypes contained a higher amount of amino acids. In comparison with male-fertile plants, male-sterile genotypes had undeveloped pollen grain characters; i.e., smaller grain size, a thicker exine, “permanent tetrads” that failed to disintegrate into microspores, and the absence of pollen apertures that might be due to a disorder in the metabolism of carbohydrates and fatty acids.

Metabolomics Studies on Cytoplasmic Male Sterility during Flower Bud Development in Soybean

“…Although metabolites during flower, anther, and pollen development in rice [18], tomato [23], wheat [27], and pear [28] have been reported, changes in metabolites associated with pollen abortion in CMS plant (except cotton and potato CMS) is limited [29,30].…”

Cytoplasmic genetic diversity of potato varieties bred in Russia and FSU countries

“…For example, virtually all studied cultivars and breeding clones with the cytoplasm of another wild Mexican species S. stoloniferum can participate in crosses only as female parents (Ross, 1986;Lössl et al, 2000;Song, Schwarzfischer, 2008), because they manifest tetrad sterility (tetrads do not disintegrate in the end of microsporogenesis, and over the entire process of subsequent microgametogenesis microspores remain united into 'permanent tetrads'). Using the method of metabolic profiling on anthers, it has been shown that tetrad sterility is associated with an abrupt disorder of the carbonic exchange in anthers, mainly as far as the polysaccharide spectrum is concerned, and the metabolism of amino and fatty acids (Shishova et al, 2019).…”

Discovery of a novel mitochondrial DNA molecule associated with tetrad pollen sterility in potato

“…In this mutant, proper degradation of the cell wall of the PMC after meiosis and subsequent segregation of microspores fail [ 53 , 56 ]. Shishova et al [ 57 ] detected metabolic changes in anthers in T-CMS potato varieties compared with normal pollen-producing varieties. Therefore, it can be assumed that the transcripts of the causal gene for CMS accumulate in the tapetal tissues and PMCs and suppress pollen development.…”