Poaceae

Chromosome stickiness impairs meiosis and influences reproductive success in Panicum maximum (Poaceae) hybrid plants

C. Pessim, Pagliarini, M. S., Silva, N., and Jank, L., Chromosome stickiness impairs meiosis and influences reproductive success in Panicum maximum (Poaceae) hybrid plants, vol. 14, pp. 4195-4202, 2015.

Chromosome stickiness has been studied in several species of higher plants and is characterized by sticky clumps of chromatin resulting in sterility. Chromosome stickiness was recorded in Panicum maximum hybrid plants that were cultivated in the field. In the meiocytes affected, chromosomes clumped into amorphous masses that did not orient themselves on the equatorial plate, and anaphase I disjunction failed to occur. After a normal cytokinesis, the masses of chromatin were divided between both daughter cells.

Complete asynapsis resulting in 2n pollen formation in Paspalum jesuiticum Parodi (Poaceae)

R. A. Bernardo Filho, Santos, A. C. C., Souza, F. H. D., Valls, J. F. M., and Pagliarini, M. S., Complete asynapsis resulting in 2n pollen formation in Paspalum jesuiticum Parodi (Poaceae), vol. 13, pp. 255-261, 2014.

Cytological investigation revealed complete asynapsis during microsporogenesis in 2 wild accessions of Paspalum jesuiticum collected in distinct Brazilian regions. Both accessions were hexaploid (2n = 6x = 60) and 60 univalents could be counted at diakinesis. In this phase, the majority of meiocytes exhibited univalents with both chromatids. After alignment at the metaphase plate, the chromatids segregated to the poles. Only 1 meiotic division (equational) occurred, and after cytokinesis, a dyad with 2n microspores was formed.

Microsporogenesis in Paspalum conspersum Schrad. (Virgata group) with different ploidy levels

L. Janke, Souza, F. H. D., Valls, J. F. M., and Pagliarini, M. S., Microsporogenesis in Paspalum conspersum Schrad. (Virgata group) with different ploidy levels, vol. 12, pp. 4948-4957, 2013.

Knowledge about the cytology and reproductive behavior of a species is indispensable for hybridization programs. This is especially true for species belonging to the genus Paspalum, among which apomixis and a wide range of ploidy levels are frequently found. Paspalum conspersum Schrad. is a robust and warm-season perennial bunchgrass native to South America. Previous studies have indicated that both tetraploid and hexaploid races exist in this species; however, only information related to tetraploids has been applied to another taxon.

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