S-RNase gene of Nicotians alata is expressed in developing pollen

Abstract

In the solanaceous plant Nicotiana alata, self-incompatibility is controlled by a single multiallelic locus (S locus) expressed in both pollen and pistil. Previously, we have shown cosegregation between alleles of the S locus and alleles of a gene that encodes a glycoprotein with ribonuclease activity (S-RNase). Furthermore, expression of the S-RNase gene is apparently confined to the pistil and is correlated with the onset of self-incompatibility in this paper, we report that the S-RNase gene is also expressed at low levels in developing pollen. A transcript in developing pollen hybridized to a cDNA encoding the S2-RNaSe allele of the parent plant and did not hybridize to cDNAs encoding oth..