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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #208913
Title: Soybean and Tobacco Floral nectary Glands: their Structural and Functional Similarities and Differences

Author
item HORNER, HARRY - ISU
item HEALY, ROSARIA - ISU
item THORNBURG, ROBERT - ISU
item Palmer, Reid

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2007
Publication Date: 6/1/2007
Citation: Horner, H.T., Healy, R.A., Thornburg, R.W., Palmer, R.G. 2007. Soybean and Tobacco Floral nectary Glands:their Structural and Functional Similarities and Differences. Ortiz-Perez, E., Wiley, H., Davis, W.H., Palmer, R.G. 2007. Insect-mediated Cross-pollination in Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill]:Phenotypic Recurrent Selection. In Gardner, C.A.C., M.A. Harris, R.W. Hellmich, H.T. Horner, J.D. Nason, R.G. Palmer, J.J. Tabke, R.W. Thornburg and M.P. Widrlechner, eds., 9th International Pollination Symposium on Plant Pollinator Relationships-Diversity in Action:Program and Abstracts, June 24-28, 2007, Ames, Iowa. p. 110-111.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Insect attraction and pollination of flowers are controlled by characters such as: color (visual cue); shape (accommodation); opening and pollen dehiscence (timing); volatiles production (smell); and nectar secretion from nectary glands (reward). The floral nectary and its secretion products are two important aspects of a larger, basic-biological study of ours dealing with production of hybrid soybean. Floral nectaries vary widely in location, size and ability to produce sufficient nectar to serve as a reward, and as an attractant to insects and birds. Their involvement is critical in establishing cross-pollination, hybridization, and agronomic performance. Very little comparative work has occurred to assess differences among nectaries of self- and cross-pollinated species. To capitalize on this disparity, we use ornamental tobacco floral nectaries (Nicotiana LxS8) that produce copious amounts of nectar that enhance cross pollination, annual soybean cultivar nectaries [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] that have relatively poor (Clark) and good (Raiden) insect attraction, and wild perennial soybean G. tomentella that outcrosses more than 50 percent. Our study focuses on our published and unpublished microscopic results that demonstrate differences in anatomy longevity of each type of gland, their specific but different levels of nectary starch buildup, starch loss at time of nectar production and secretion, expression of nectary-specific genes (NEC 1) and expression of a protein (NEC 1) in tobacco associated with NEC 1 gene, and NOX1 in tobacco and NOX1 in soybean.