Understanding the origin and evolution of sex chromosomes requires studying recently evolved X-Y chromosome systems such as those in some flowering plants. We describe Y chromosome deletion mutants of Silene latifolia, a dioecious plant with heteromorphic sex chromosomes. The combination of results from new and previously described deletions with histological descriptions of their stamen development defects indicates the presence of two distinct Y regions containing loci with indispensable roles in male reproduction. We determined their positions relative to the two main sex determination functions (female suppressing and the other male promoting). A region proximal to the centromere on the Y p arm containing the putative stamen promoting sex determination locus includes additional early stamen developmental factors. A medial region of the Y q arm carries late pollen fertility factors. Cytological analysis of meiotic X-Y pairing in one of the male-sterile mutants indicates that the Y carries sequences or functions specifically affecting sex chromosome pairing.

• MeSH
• biologická evoluce * MeSH
• DNA rostlinná genetika   MeSH
• druhová specificita MeSH
• genetická variace MeSH
• mutace MeSH
• pohlavní chromozomy genetika   MeSH
• rekombinace genetická * MeSH
• rostlinné geny genetika   MeSH
• rozmnožování genetika   MeSH
• selekce (genetika) MeSH
• Silene genetika   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• DNA rostlinná MeSH