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Chilling to zero degrees disrupts pollen formation but not meiotic microtubule arrays in T riticum aestivum L.
Author(s) -
BARTON DEBORAH A.,
CANTRILL LAURENCE C.,
LAW ANDREW M. K.,
PHILLIPS COLLIN G.,
SUTTON BRUCE G.,
OVERALL ROBYN L.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
plant, cell and environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.646
H-Index - 200
eISSN - 1365-3040
pISSN - 0140-7791
DOI - 10.1111/pce.12358
Subject(s) - microtubule , pollen , microbiology and biotechnology , meiosis , chemistry , biology , botany , biochemistry , gene
Throughout the wheat‐growing regions of A ustralia, chilling temperatures below 2 °C occur periodically on consecutive nights during the period of floral development in spring wheat ( T riticum aestivum L .). In this study, wheat plants showed significant reductions in fertility when exposed to prolonged chilling temperatures in controlled environment experiments. Among the cultivars tested, the A ustralian cultivars K ite and H artog had among the lowest levels of seed set due to chilling and their responses were investigated further. The developmental stage at exposure, the chilling temperature and length of exposure all influenced the level of sterility. The early period of booting, and specifically the +4 cm auricle distance class, was the most sensitive and corresponded to meiosis within the anthers. The response of microtubules to chilling during meiosis in Hartog was monitored, but there was little difference between chilled and control plants. Other abnormalities, such as plasmolysis and cytomixis increased in frequency, were associated with death of developing pollen cells, and could contribute to loss of fertility. The potential for an above‐zero chilling sensitivity in Australian spring wheat varieties could have implications for exploring the tolerance of wheat flower development to chilling and freezing conditions in the field.