Comparison on the Biochemical Characteristics between Alfalfa Sterile Line and Maintainer Line

College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China

^* Corresponding author: xubo0308@126.com

Abstract

To study on the morphological character of cytology and physiological and biochemical mechanism of alfalfa cytoplasmic male sterile line, this paper took sterile line MS-GN1A and maintainer line MS-GN1B as raw material, separately conducted microscopic observation to anther in different development stage and determined the content of soluble sugar, starch, soluble protein, free proline and malondialdehyde, and the activity of antioxidant enzyme (catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase). The results showed that: 1. Compared with maintainer line, the pollen grain of alfalfa cytoplasmic male sterile line presented shriveled appearance, smaller size with deletion and few; during the tetrad period of pollen, tapetum cell abnormally grew; callose and epidermis didn’t disintegrate and couldn’t release pollen grain; pollen abortion of alfalfa cytoplasmic sterile line was related to the abnormal development of connective vascular bundle. 2. With the growth and development of bud and the development and maturity of pollen, the content of soluble sugar, starch, soluble protein, and free proline showed deficient phenomenon in each development period of bud of sterile line MS-GN1A; as peroxidation index of membranous substance, the activity of malondialdehyde and antioxidant enzyme was higher than it of homotype maintainer line MS-GN1B.