Thanks Pablo for your response. What results would I be expecting from flow cytometry? I will be using it later in the year to test for ploidy.

Dear Lucy,

I would also suggest rapid screening by flow cytometry. Sexual plants may produce sexual endosperm by a fusion of central nucleus with haploid male gamete, thus a diploid plant is producing triploid endosperm. In case of e.g. triploid apomicts (such as some Taraxacum species in my previous research) it is autonomous, hexaploid endosperm. However, with respect to recombinations of apomictic genes including autonomous endosperm trait also other combinations may be discovered. Flow cytometry using DAPI displays the peaks of these ploidy levels. But be careful with interpretation, use appropriate standards and test lower number or single seeds before you use the pooled seed samples.

For the study of apomixis also the other above suggested or other well established and more precious methods should be used than only flow cytometry.

Check also:

An efficient screen for reproductive pathways using mature seeds of monocots and dicots

Author(s): Matzk, F; Meister, A; Schubert, I

Source: PLANT JOURNAL  Volume: 21   Issue: 1   Pages: 97-108   DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-313x.2000.00647.x   Published: JAN 2000

Apomixis in Taraxacum paludosum (section Palustria, Asteraceae): Recombinations of apomixis elements in inter-sectional crosses

Author(s): Zavesky, L.; Jarolimova, V.; Stepanek, J.

Source: PLANT SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION  Volume: 265   Issue: 3-4   Pages: 147-163   DOI: 10.1007/s00606-007-0518-1   Published: 2007

Cheers,

Ludek

I think the ratio of ploidy levels of endospem and embryo can give an idea? You can go through this paper. Link given below

http://www.amjbot.org/content/97/10/1719.full.pdf+html

If both sexes are in the plant and in the same flower you can emasculate and cover the flower with a paper cover to avoid cross pollination. Later see for seed set. You will have to do this for many flowers and also over a period of time. If seed set is seen, apomixis can be suspected. You will have to count the chromosomes cytologically to verify if the apomixis has a chromosomal basis (usually aneuploids). Apomixis is good and easy to handle if it has a genetic basis. Hope this helps.

Thanks Kumar, this is precious information in the paper.

Thanks Ludek and Pablo, am now understanding this topic slowly by slowly

You can look to see if a plant has mature fruit before flowers have opened. This was a clue used in a study of Richardia (Rubiaceae). See Lewis and Oliver (1973?) Brittonia.

Looking at the ratio of the flow cytometry scores for the embryo to endosperm of rhododendron seed has been an effective mechanism for showing that selfed seed is produced sexually.

Which staining & extraction did you use in dandelion for flow cytometry? I used leaf tissue & DAPI but the CV% isn't very good. Any suggestion how to improve analysis?