Molecular and genetic characterization of a self-compatible apple cultivar, ‘CAU-1’

•‘CAU-1’ is a self-compatible apple caused by S-locus unlinked PPM.•MdHT1 interacts and with S-RNase and may facilitate its internalization.•A SNP causes the decrease of MdHT1 expression, which may result in the SC of ‘CAU-1’. In this study, we characterized a naturally occurring self-compatible apple cultivar, ‘CAU-1’ (S1S9), and studied the underlying mechanism that causes its compatibility. Analyses of both fruit set rate and seed number after self-pollination or cross-pollination with ‘Fuji’ (S1S9), and of pollen tube growth, demonstrated that ‘CAU-1’ is self-compatible. Genetic analysis by S-RNase PCR-typing of selfed progeny of ‘CAU-1’ revealed the presence of all progeny classes (S1S1, S1S9, and S9S9). Moreover, no evidence of S-allele duplication was found. These findings support the hypothesis that loss of function of an S-locus unlinked pollen-part mutation (PPM) expressed in pollen, rather than a natural mutation in the pollen-S gene (S1- and S9- haplotype), leads to SI breakdown in ‘CAU-1’. In addition, there were no significant differences in pollen morphology or fertility between ‘Fuji’ and ‘CAU-1’. However, we found that the effect of S1- and S9-RNase on the SI behavior of pollen could not be addressed better in ‘CAU-1’ than in ‘Fuji’. Furthermore, we found that a pollen-expressed hexose transporter, MdHT1, interacted with S-RNases and showed significantly less expression in ‘CAU-1’ than in ‘Fuji’ pollen tubes. These findings support the hypothesis that MdHT1 may participate in S-RNase internalization during the SI process, and decrease of MdHT1 expression in ‘CAU-1’ hindered the release of self S-RNase into the cytoplasm of pollen tubes, thereby protecting pollen from the cytotoxicity of S-RNase, finally probably resulting in self-compatibility. Together, these findings indicate that S-locus external factors are required for gametophytic SI in the Rosaceae subtribe Pyrinae.