Nicotiana tabacum L. as a source of cytoplasmic male sterility in interspecific cross with N. alata Link & Otto

A new source of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) in tobacco with interspecific origin is reported. In traditional selection wild tobacco species have been used as donors of cytoplasm. In the present study the cultivated species Nicotiana tabacum L. (n = 24) is a source of CMS. It was used as female parent and N. alata (n = 9) was involved as a pollinator. The F1 hybrid of this cross was completely sterile. Tissue culture method was applied to restore the female fertility. Regenerants obtained from the 5th passage were successfully pollinated with N. tabacum and seed-containing capsules were formed. All BC1P1 plants were male sterile. They possessed normally developed corollas, three-loculed or deformed pistils, and 1–2 stamens modified into secondary pistils. In some plants stamenless flowers were observed. Male sterility of BC1P1 was preserved in BC2P1–BC7P1 progenies confirming its cytoplasmic nature.