Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 10 March 2000:
Vol. 287. no. 5459, p. 1713
DOI: 10.1126/science.287.5459.1713h
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Editors' Choice: Highlights of the recent literature

It is not uncommon for plants to fertilize themselves. However, several species of Brassica reject their own pollen and thus are self-incompatible. Self-incompatibility is controlled by the highly polymorphic S locus, which contains two genes that encode the S receptor kinase (SRK) and S locus glycoprotein (SLG). Takasaki et al. transfected self-incompatible plants (bearing the S60 or S52/60 haplotypes) with SRK or SLG (bearing the S28 haplotype) separately and determined that the expression of SRK28 alone conferred incompatibility to S28 pollen. Although expression of SLG28 alone was incapable of promoting self-incompatibility, coexpression of SLG28 with SRK28 resulted in greater self-incompatibility than that observed with SRK28 alone. Therefore, expression of SRK is necessary and sufficient to control self-incompatibility, whereas SLG can augment the response. By having a mechanism that prevents inbreeding, plants increase their robustness through hybrid vigor. -- JN

Nature 403, 913 (2000).

To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)