"Egg transformation" induced by irradiated pollen in Nicotiana: a re-examination

Endosperm responses to irradiated pollen in apples

The cytological effects of pollen γ-irradiation at 50 and 100 krad on both embryo and endosperm development were studied in Malus × domestica. Fruit and seed set were reduced by increasing doses of pollen irradiation, while embryo sacs resulting from the treatments differed in number and morphology of endosperm nuclei and in the presence or absence of an embryo. Nuclear abnormalities, distinguished from normal nuclear behaviour in embryo sacs derived from unirradiated pollen, included enhanced numbers of polyploid restitution nuclei, bridges between nuclei, excluded metaphase chromosome fragments and disrupted mitotic synchrony. Generally, a high dose of pollen irradiation (100 krad) generated an all-or-nothing response in the embryo sac, either creating highly abnormal embryos and/or endosperms which aborted, or showing relatively normal development. Callus produced from excised cellular endosperm differed in average genome size, that derived from 100 krad pollen being smaller than that from unirradiated pollen.

"Egg transformation" induced by irradiated pollen in Nicotiana: critical appraisal of Chyi and Sanford's observations

This note strongly refutes the suggestion by Chyi and Sanford (1985) that "egg transformation" by the use of lethally irradiated pollen in Nicotiana reported by the present author could be explained on the basis of mutation, contamination or other causes, and suggests that their conclusion is based on faulty experimentation and interpretation. It also shows that, contrary to these authors' assertions, their results, in fact, contain certain significant demonstrations of egg transformation supporting the present author's work.