Genetic and Environmental Factors that Influence Microgametophytic Variation

花粉中的大部分遗传物质 （小配子体）在花粉发育过程中被读出， 萌发和花粉管生长。 因此 花粉性能（萌发速度、花粉管生长 （1）能够达到施肥的目的， 受其基因组成的影响，受其与 通过它生长的花朵的材料部分，通过 环境条件，如温度， 为花粉提供的资源（如氮和磷） 花粉产生的父母。 斯蒂芬森博士和 南联将继续详细调查有关因素 影响花粉性能的因素 他们将确定这些 因素导致非随机施肥，如果非随机 受精影响后代的表现。 具体来说，他们将使用Cucurbita texana来检查 花粉管生长的程度可以通过允许 只有生长最快的试管才能实现受精。 下一个是 他们将研究土壤数量变化的影响， 磷对花粉产量、花粉粒大小、数量 花粉中储存的磷， （在混合物中繁殖种子的能力）。 最后，他们会分开 温度对花粉产生的影响 花粉萌发温度对花粉的影响 性能 这些实验，当结合先前和 正在进行的研究，将导致一个完整的图片的遗传 以及影响花粉性能的环境因素， 基因从一代到下一代的非随机传递， 以及它们对后代的影响 这些研究的结果将解决和澄清一些 植物种群生物学中最活跃的争论问题。 在 此外，这项研究将对 应用科学 利用花粉来选择 花粉中的农业上理想的性状代表了 与传统的 育种计划和更新的生物技术计划。 最后， 利用花粉来监测环境， 降解，以确定哪些物种易受 特别形式的污染，并开发植物品系， 更有抵抗力。

A large portion of the genetic material in pollen (microgametophytes) is read off during pollen development, pollen germination and pollen tube growth. Consequently, the performance of pollen (speed of germination, pollen tube growth rate and ability to achieve fertilization) can potentially be affected by its genetic makeup, by its interactions with the material portion of the flower through which it grows, by environmental conditions such as temperature, and by the resources (e.g. nitrogen and phosphorus) provided to pollen grains by the pollen-producing parent. Drs. Stephenson and Winsor will continue their detailed investigations of the factors that affect pollen performance. They will determine if these factors result in non-random fertilization, and if non-random fertilization affects the performance of the progeny. Specifically, they will use Cucurbita texana to examine the extent to which pollen tube growth can be selected for by allowing only the fastest growing tubes to achieve fertilization. Next, they will examine the effects of variation in the amount of soil phosphorus on pollen production, pollen grain size, the quantity of stored phosphorus in pollen, and the performance of pollen (ability to sire seeds in mixtures). Finally, they will separate the effects of temperature during pollen production from the effects of temperature during pollen germination on pollen performance. These experiments, when combined with prior and ongoing studies, will result in a complete picture of the genetic and environmental factors that influence pollen performance, the non-random transmission of genes from one generation to the next, and their effects on the resulting progeny. The results of these studies will address and clarify some of the most actively debated issues in plant population biology. In addition, this research will have far-reaching implications for the applied sciences. The possibility of using pollen to select for agriculturally desirable traits in the pollen represents a considerable savings of time, money and space over both traditional breeding programs and the newer biotechnology programs. Finally, it may be possible to use pollen to monitor environmental degradation, to determine which species are susceptible to particular forms of pollution, and to develop lines of plants that are more resistant.