A Selfish Gene Governing Pollen-Pistil Compatibility Confers Reproductive Isolation Between Maize Relatives

Some populations of maize's closest relatives, the annual teosintes of Mexico, are unreceptive to maize pollen. When present in the pistil (silk and ovary) a number of maize genes discriminate against or exclude pollen not carrying the same allele. An analogous gene Tcb1-s was found in some teo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Genetics (Austin) 2006-01, Vol.172 (1), p.499-506
Main Author: Kermicle, Jerry L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Breeding
Chromosomes
Corn
Crosses, Genetic
Genes
Genetic Variation
Genetics
Genetics, Population
Hybridization
Hybridization, Genetic
Investigations
Plant Proteins - genetics
Plant reproduction
Pollen - cytology
Population genetics
Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid - genetics
Reproduction - physiology
Seeds - physiology
Zea mays
Zea mays - genetics
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Summary:Some populations of maize's closest relatives, the annual teosintes of Mexico, are unreceptive to maize pollen. When present in the pistil (silk and ovary) a number of maize genes discriminate against or exclude pollen not carrying the same allele. An analogous gene Tcb1-s was found in some teosinte populations but not in sympatric or parapatric maize. It was polymorphic among populations of teosinte growing wild, but regularly present in populations growing in intimate association with maize as a weed. Introduction of Tcb1-s into maize substantially to fully restored compatibility with Tcb1-s carrying teosintes. Although Tcb1-s pollen can fertilize tcb1 tcb1 maize, it is at a competitive disadvantage relative to tcb1 pollen. Hence, the influence of Tcb1-s on crossability is bidirectional. In the absence of maize, Tcb1-s can increase in teosinte populations without improving their fitness. In the presence of maize, Tcb1-s appears to have been co-opted to provide reproductive isolation for adaptation to a cultivated habitat.
ISSN:0016-6731
1943-2631
1943-2631
DOI:10.1534/genetics.105.048645