Molecular aspects of self-incompatibility in Brassica species

Many flowering plants possess self-incompatibility (SI) systems to prevent inbreeding. SI in Brassica species is controlled by a single S locus with multiple alleles. In recent years, much progress has been made in determining the male and female S determinant in Brassica species. In the female, a gain-of-function experiment clearly demonstrated that SRK was the sole S determinant, and that SLG enhanced the SI recognition process. By contrast, the male S determinant (termed SP11/SCR) was identified in the course of genome analysis of S locus to be a small cysteine-rich protein, which was classified as a pollen coat protein. This SP11/SCR may function as a ligand for the S domain of SRK in the SI recognition reaction of Brassica species.