Cytoplasmic Male Sterility in Nicotiana, Restoration of Fertility, and the Nucleolus. II. N. DEBNEYI Cytoplasm.

Previously, it was shown that a fragment chromosome, apparently derived from the Nicotiana repanda chromosomal complement, restores to normal the morphology and fertility of the abortive and feminized anthers produced by plants that possess the N. tabacum genome in cytoplasm from N. repanda. Furthermore, that restorer chromosome organizes the nucleolus and inhibits the nucleolus-forming activity of the nucleolar organizers of N. tabacum chromosomes present in the same cells, particularly in pollen mother cells. To determine whether these relations are basic or only coincidental, restorer chromosomes for other cytoplasms are now being investigated. The present paper describes a study of a chromosome, presumably derived from N. debneyi, with partial restoring power. Acting in the cytoplasm of N. debneyi, it directs formation of morphologically normal anthers, without, however, restoring pollen fertility. We find that this chromosome also has a functioning nucleolar organizer, but only slightly inhibits the nucleolus-forming capacity of N. tabacum chromosomes. The suggestion of a relationship between the nucleolar apparatus and restoration of normal anthers is thus strengthened by the observation that restorers are found on nucleolus-forming chromosomes from two very distinct Nicotiana species, as well as in several comparable cases cited from the Triticinae. The manner in which the nucleolus, or its organizer, may direct defeminization and restoration of anther morphology is not known; suggestions were offered in the preceding paper in this series (Gerstel, Burns and Burk 1978).