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Self-(in)compatibility in Tunisian apple accessions [Malus domestica. Borkh]: S-genotypes identification and pollen tube growth analysis

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Abstract

Main conclusion

Self-incompatibility studies have revealed a potential use of Tunisian apple resources for crop improvement and modern breeding programs and a likely correlation between the pollen tube growth and flowering period.

Abstractss

Apples [Malus domestica. Borkh] exhibit an S-RNase-based gametophytic self-incompatibility (GSI) system. Four primer combinations were used to S-genotype eighteen Tunisian local apple accessions and twelve introduced accessions that served as references. Within the Tunisian local accessions, S2, S3, S7, and S28 S-alleles were the most frequent and were assigned to 14 S-genotypes; among them, S7S28, S3S7, S2S5, and S2S3 were the most abundant. PCA plot showed that population structuring was affected by the S-alleles frequencies and revealed a modern origin of the Tunisian varieties rather than being ancient ones. Nonetheless, the results obtained with 17 SSR markers showed a separate grou** of local Tunisian accessions that calls into question the hypothesis discussed. Pollination experiments showed that the pollen started to germinate within 24 h of pollination but 48 h after pollination in the “El Fessi” accession. The first pollen tubes arrived in the styles within 36 h of pollination in two early flowering accessions known as “Arbi” and “Bokri”, and after 72 h of pollination in late flowering “El Fessi” and 48 h after pollination in remaining accessions. The first pollen tube arrests were observed in accessions “Arbi” and “Bokri” within 84 h of pollination, within 108 h of pollination in “El Fessi” and within 108 h of pollination in remaining accessions. In the apple accession called “Boutabgaya,” the pollen tubes reached the base of the style within 120 h of pollination without being aborted. Nevertheless, the self-compatible nature of “Boutabgaya” needs more studies to be confirmed. However, our results revealed the malfunction of the female component of the GSI in this accession. To conclude, this work paved the path for further studies to enhance the insight (i) into the relation between the flowering period and the pollen tube growth, (ii) self-compatible nature of “Boutabgaya”, and (iii) the origin of the Tunisian apple.

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Authors declare that all data are included within the manuscript and fully available without restriction.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank to the collections technicians and Tunisian farmers for kindly providing plant materials. We would like to express our gratitude to Ms. Yosra Bchir (the Higher Institute of Languages of Tunis ISLT), for her diligent review of this work.

Funding

This research was supported by the Tunisian ‘MINISTRY OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ‘

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  1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 2092, Tunis, Tunisia

    Donia Abdallah, Sana Ben Mustapha, Imen Balti, Amel Salhi-Hannachi & Ghada Baraket

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  1. Donia Abdallah
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  2. Sana Ben Mustapha
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  3. Imen Balti
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Contributions

DA performed the experiments, performed statistical analyses, developed the genetic analyses, and wrote the manuscript. SBM performed the pollination experiments and the microscope observations. IB provided some plant materials and performed SSR amplification. ASH and GB provided experimental instructions, supervised the work, and assisted in writing the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Donia Abdallah.

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Communicated by Stefan de Folter.

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Abdallah, D., Ben Mustapha, S., Balti, I. et al. Self-(in)compatibility in Tunisian apple accessions [Malus domestica. Borkh]: S-genotypes identification and pollen tube growth analysis. Planta 259, 137 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-024-04418-x

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