Electrophoretic Analyses of Anther Proteins from Male‐Fertile and Male‐Sterile Sudangrass, Sorghum vulgare var. sudanense (Piper) 1

Proteins in anthers at the pre‐pollen stage from two male‐fertile and one male‐sterile line of sudangrass, Sorghum vulgare var. sudanense (Piper) were compared by disc gel electrophoresis. Stained gels revealed: (1) eight bands in male‐fertile in contrast to seven bands in male‐sterile anthers for peroxidase, (2) seven bands in male‐fertile in contrast to two bands in male‐sterile anthers for cytochrome oxidase, (3) approximately 20 bands in male‐fertile in contrast to nine in male‐sterile anthers for total proteins, and (4) eight bands in fertile and five bands in male‐sterile anthers for basic protein. The consistently fewer number of biochemical components detected in male‐sterile anthers indicated that heritable abnormal metabolic activity was associated with pollen abortion and subsequent male‐sterility in sudangrass.