Summary
Two major genes and a complex of polygenes affecting sex expression inCucumis sativus L. as well as their interaction with some nongenetic factors were investigated in the present study. The genetic factorst was found to affect sex by inducing a shift of the predetermined flowering pattern of this plant, in the direction of its base. As this pattern is composed of a staminate stage followed by a mixed (staminate-pistillate) stage and a pistillate stage, a double dose ofst will induce a change from the normal monoecious sex expression (to absolute gynoecism.
The second major gene studied,m, known previously to control sex in the individual flower (m/m—andromonoecious,M—monoecious), also interacts with factors affecting the flowering pattern by inducing male tendency.
Using an ordinary commercial monoecious stock additional modifying factors for sex expression were demonstrated, by eight generations of selection for high (in male direction) and for low (in female direction) node number to the first pistillate flower. A comparison of the means and frequency distributions of node number of the two selected lines, their F1 and F2, indicated polygenic control of this character.
It was found that two non-genetic factors, day length and gibberellic acid (GA), may mimic the genetic factors for sex expression. Furthermore, evidence was presented, indicating that this sex controlling ability of GA and the modifying genes may be based on physiological conditions common to those two genetic and nongenetic factors.
The overall mechanism of sex control in the cucumber and in other plants was discussed and a hypothetic model for the evolution of dioecism in flowering plants was proposed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allen, C. E., 1940. The genotypic basis of sex-expression in angiosperms. Bot. Rev., 6: 227–300.
Atsmon, D. andGalun, E., 1961. Physiology of sex inCucumis sativus L. Leaf age patterns and sexual differentiation of floral buds. (In preparation).
Correns, C., 1928. Bestimmung, Vererbung und Verteilung des Geschlechts bei den höheren Pflanzen. Handb. der Vererbungswissensch., II: 1–138.
Dodd, J. M., 1960. Genetic and environmental aspects of sex determination in cold blooded vertebrates. Mem. Soc. for Endocrinology, 7: 17–44.
Edmond, J. B., 1931. Seasonal variation in sex expression of certain cucumber varieties. Proc. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci., 27: 329–332.
Joshi, A. C., 1939. A note on the determination of sex in plantain flowers. Jour. Genetics, 38: 353–356.
Galán, F., 1951. Analyse genetique de la monoecie et de la dioecie zygotiques et de leur différences dansEcballium elaterium. Acta Salamant. Ciencias, Sec. Biol., 1: 7–15.
Galun, E., 1956. Effect of seed treatment on sex expression in the cucumber. Experientia, 12: 218.
—, 1958. Inheritance of sex forms inCucumis sativus. (Abst.) Bull. of the Res. Council of Israel, Sec. D., 6: 261.
—, 1959a. The role of auxins in the sex expression of the cucumber. Physiol. Plant., 12: 48–61.
—, 1959b. Effectsof gibberellic acid and naphthaleneacetic acid on sex expression and some morphological characters in the cucumber plant. Phyton (Argentina), 13: 1–8.
—, andAtsmon, D., 1960. The leaf-floral bud relationship of genetic sexual types in the cucumber plant. Bull. of the Res. Council of Israel, Sec. D., 9: 43–50.
Goldschmidt, R. B., 1955. Theoretical Genetics. University of California Press, Berkeley, 563p.
Heslop-Harrison, J., 1957. The experimental modification of sex expression in flowering plants. Biol. Rev., 32: 38–90.
Ito, H. andKato, T., 1953. Factors responsible for the sex expression of the Japanese cucumber. Jour. Hort. Assoc. Japan, 22: 138–144.
Ito, H., Kato, T., Hashimoto, K. and,Saito, T., 1954. Factors responsible for the sex expression of the Japanese cucumber, II. Jour. Hort. Assoc. Japan, 23: 65–70.
Ito, H. andSaito, T., 1956a. Factors responsible for the sex expression of the Japanese cucumber. III. Jour. Hort. Assoc. Japan, 25: 101–110.
—, and —. 1956b. Factors responsible for the sex expression of the Japanese cucumber, IV. Jour. Hort. Assoc. Japan, 25: 141–151.
—, and —, 1956c. Factors responsible for the sex expression of the Japanese cucumber, V. Jour. Hort. Assoc. Japan, 25: 213–220.
—, and —, 1957a. Factors responsible for the sex expression of the Japanese cucumber, VI. Jour. Hort. Assoc. Japan, 26: 1–8.
—, and —, 1957d. Factors responsible orf the sex expression of the Japanese cucumber, VIII. Jour. Hort. Assoc. Japan, 26: 209–214.
—, and —, 1958. Factors responsible for the sex expression of the Japanese cucumber, IX, Jour. Hort. Assoc. Japan, 27: 11–20.
Laibach, F. andKribben, F. J., 1950a. Der Einfluss von Wuchsstoff auf die Bildung mannlicher und weiblicher Blüten bei einer monözischen Pflanze. Ber. dtsch. Bot. Ges., 62: 53–55.
— und —, 1950b. Über die Bedeutung der α-Indolyl Essigsäure für die Blütenbildung. Ber. dtsch. bor. Ges., 63: 119–120.
— und —, 1950c. Der Einfluss von Wuchsstoff auf die Blütenbildung der Gurke. Naturwiss., 37: 114–115.
— and —, 1951. Der Einfluss von Wuchsstoff auf das Geschlecht der Blüten bei einer monözischen Pflanze. Beit. Biol. Pflanz., 28: 64–67.
Lewis, D., 1942. The evolution of sex in flowering plants. Biol. Rev. (Camb. Phil. Soc.), 17: 46–67.
Mather, K., 1948. Biometrical Genetics. Dover Pub. Inc., N. Y., 158 p.
Murneek, A. E., 1927. Physiology of the reproduction in horticultural plants, II. Res. Bull. Miss. Agric. Exp. Station, No. 106.
Nitsch, J. P., Kurtz, E. B., Liverman, J. L. andWent, F. W., 1952. The development of sex expression in cucurbit flowers. Amer. Jour. Bot., 39: 32–43.
Peterson, C. E. andAnhder, L. D., 1960. Induction of staminate flowers on gynoecious cucumbers with gibberellin A3. Science, 131: 1673–1674.
Poole, C. F. andGrimball, P. C., 1939. Inheritance of new sex forms inCucumis sativus. Jour. Hered., 30: 21–25.
Rosa, J. T., 1928. The inheritance of flower types inCucumis andCitrullus. Hilgardia, 3: 233–250.
Shifriss, O. andGalun, E., 1946. Sex expression in the cucumber. Proc. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci., 67: 479–486.
Strong, W. J., 1931. Breeding experiments with the cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) Sci. Agr., 11: 333–346.
Tiedjens, V. A., 1928. Sex ratio in cucumber flowers as affected by different conditions of soil and light. Jour. Agr. Res., 36: 721–746.
Tkachenko, N.N., 1935. Preliminary results of a genetic investigation of the cucumber—Cucumis sativus L. (Russian with English summary). Bull. Appl. Bot. Gen. and Plant Breeding, 9, series 2: 311–356.
Witschi, F., 1922. Chromosomen und Geschlecht beiRana temporaria. Zeitschr. indukt. Abst., 27: 243–255.
Wittwer, S. H. andBukovac, M. J., 1958. The effect of gibberellin on economic crops. Econ. Bot., 12: 213–255.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Galun, E. Study of the inheritance of sex expression in the cucumber. The interaction of major genes with modifying genetic and non-genetic factors. Genetica 32, 134–163 (1962). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01816091
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01816091