‘Hertwig Effect’ in plants: induced parthenogenesis through the use of irradiated pollen

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Abstract
Studies of four combinations of Nicotiana involving four species, N. langsdorffii (N. l.), N. alata (N. a.), N. glutinosa (N. g.) and N. tabacum (N. t.), have shown that parthenogenetic haploid and diploid maternal individuals may arise with the use of male gametes (pollen) treated with high doses of ionising radiation in plants, similar to that found in animals (“Hertwig Effect’). At lower doses (10–20 Kr) rapidly diminishing numbers of seedlings were produced and many of these died soon after germination or before reaching maturity. In the intraspecific combination N. l. × N. l., viable seeds were produced only at the lower doses of 10 and 15 Kr. In the interspecific combination N. l. × N. a., at lower doses, all plants that came to bloom showed variable hybrid morphology. There were no plants resembling the female parent. In the combination N.t. × N.a., at lower doses there were rare surviving plants which were maternal dihaploid (1 plant out of 4 at 15 Kr) or tetraploid N. tabacum (all 5 plants at 20 Kr). All surviving plants at higher doses (50 and 100 Kr) were maternal tetraploids. In the combination N.t.×N.g., plants produced at lower than 20 Kr were almost all either aneuploid or triploid hybrids. Dihaploid, maternal N. tabacum plants appeared at 20 Kr and higher doses. After 50 Kr the large proportion of plants produced were maternal dihaploid or tetraploid N. tabacum.

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