An adverse effect of meiotic abnormalities on spore fitness in medicinal fern Glaphyropteridopsis erubescens (Wall. ex Hook.) Ching

Abstract

Glaphyropteridopsis erubescens plants were collected from Parvati valley, Himachal Pradesh, India. Meiotic investigations in the accessions collected from different areas of Himachal Pradesh revealed normal meiosis and good spore fertility. However, the accessions collected from Parvati valley has depicted meiotic anomalies and high spore abortion index. All populations shared the same cytological status of 2n = 72, which is in line with previous records. Individuals depicted normal behavior at diakinesis and metaphase-I but later stages were abnormal. It includes chromatin stickiness, interbivalent connections, early and late disjunction. The formation of laggards at anaphase-I lead to series of abnormalities such as chromatin bridges, random sub-grouping of chromosomes at anaphase-II, chromatin fragmentation and irregular sporogenesis. Large numbers of micronuclei were present in triads and tetrads along with pycnotic nuclei. Empty and some abnormal sporangia with heterogenous spores were also observed.