The Effect of Homozygous Genes for Self-Sterility

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Abstract
There are 15 alleles for sterility in Nicotiana sanderae, N. alata, and their hybrids. Any plant bearing a member of the series S1-S15 is incompatible with pollen bearing the same member of the series, due to retardation of pollen-tube growth. With incompatible matings, fertilization can often be effected on immature flowers. Thus plants homozygous for members of the series S1S1 to S15S15 were obtained. S alleles could be transferred to plants having various genetic constitutions, without any evidence of abnormal behavior. No allele was lethal in the homozygous condition, contrary to Castle''s explanation of sterility. The main advantage of the mechanisms promoting cross-fertilization is the opportunity afforded a mutant to re-combine with plants having different genic constitutions. The origin of self-sterility could be explained by the arising of 3 separate mutations, S1 and S2 producing self-sterile plants, S3 producing a self-sterile race.

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