Abstract: Potassium antimontate was used to locate Ca2+ in fertile and sterile anthers of photoperiod-sensitive cytoplasmic male-sterile wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).The quantity and distribution of calcium precipitates change in microspore and pollen during microsporogenesis and pollen development.The calcium precipitates gradually accumulated on the surface of tetraspore or pollen until pollen mature. They were abundant on the surface of the trinucleate pollen,but not in the cytoplasm.Calcium was transported in anther wall and intervening connective tissue via symplast and apoplast system,meeting the need of microspore and pollen development.Abortive pollens were observed in the anthers developed under long daylight exposure. Abundant calcium precipitates were distributed along the edge of the degradatived pollen plasma and in the locular matrix,but little in the anther wall and intervening connective tissue of the early abortive pollen.Calcium precipitates accumulated on the surface of pollen was less than fertile pollen,but abundant calcium appear in the epiderms,endotheciums,middle layers of anther wall and cells of connective tissue.The results indicate that abnormalities in the distribution of calcium correlate with the failure of pollen development in photoperiod-sensitive cytoplasmic male-sterile wheat.

Key words: photoperiod-sensitive cytoplasmic male-sterility, Triticum aestivum, anther development, photoperiod, potassium antimonte precipitates, Ca2+