Putrescine content of Japanese pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) styles increases in response to pollination

• Published in: New Zealand journal of crop and horticultural science Vol. 37; no. 3; pp. 281 - 287
• Main Authors: Franco-Mora, Omar, Tanabe, Kenji, Tamura, Fumio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 01.09.2009
• Subjects: bioregulators; ethylene; in vitro pollination; Japanese pear cultivars; polyamines
• ISSN: 0114-0671; 1175-8783
• DOI: 10.1080/01140670909510274

Although poly amines (Pas) are suggested to be involved in the pollination process, the kinetics of this process in Japanese pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) are not currently understood. In this work, the content of putrescine increased (α ≤ 0.05) 5 h after in vitro pollination in styles of five different cultivars of Japanese pear. The evolution of spermidine and spermine within the cultivars used was not consistent; whereas spermidine contents decreased, increased, or did not have statistically significant changes (α ≤ 0.05), spermine content either decreased or increased. Moreover, the regulation of the ethylene and putrescine responses to pollination seemed to be linked to the cultivar's gynoecious genotype, and was influenced by the pollen source. These results agree with the idea that putrescine increases in the styles during the first few hours after pollination in this species.