Vol. 81 No: 3

Title:
High frequency sexual polyploidisation observed in hexaploid Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki) 'Fujiwaragosho'

Authors:
A. YAMADA and R. TAO

pp: 402-408

Abstract:
We analysed ploidy levels in Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki) to investigate the possible occurrence of unreduced eggs in this fruit species. Among the five cultivars tested, ´Fujiwaragosho` produced a very high frequency of embryos whose ploidy levels were more than hexaploid. These embryos were mainly nonaploid or dodecaploid, while the ploidy levels of the endosperms of the seeds from which the embryos derived were mainly normal nonaploid. A few seeds contained octadecaploid endosperms with hexaploid, nonaploid or dodecaploid embryos. Octadecaploidy in the endosperm and dodecaploidy in the embryo, in a seed, indicated that the unreduced embryo sac might have been involved in the formation of seedlings, with ploidy variation in some cases. However, there was no such indication in most cases because the ploidy level of most endosperms was the normal nonaploid. These results suggest that several modifications, including incomplete meiosis of megaspore mother cells or extra mitotic divisions during embryo sac formation, may occur in ´Fujiwaragosho`. The possible use of ´Fujiwaragosho` as a mother plant for sexual polyploidisation breeding in persimmon is discussed.

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