Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., X:X | DOI: 10.17221/87/2026-CJGPB

Development and characterisation of Ogu CMS root and leaf mustardOriginal Paper

Lirong Zhao1, Qiaofeng Xie1, Ziyue Hong1, Tao Chen1, Zhaoxin Hu2, Shengwu Hu1
1 College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P.R. China
2 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA

Mustard (Brassica juncea) is an important oilseed and vegetable crop in China with high genetic diversity. Among its various forms, root and leaf mustard are two important vegetable forms. Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) provides an important strategy for exploiting heterosis in mustard. Ogu CMS is a widely utilised sterility type in Brassica species; however, studies on this type of male-sterile material in root and leaf mustard remain limited. To address this gap, this study was designed to (i) introgress the Ogu CMS cytoplasm from B. napus into leaf and root mustard via backcrossing, (ii) determine the cytological stage and features of anther abortion in the newly developed CMS lines, and (iii) identify candidate genes and molecular pathways associated with male sterility through comparative transcriptome analysis. We successfully developed three leaf and one root mustard Ogu CMS lines and their maintainers. Both CMS and maintainer lines had 2n = 36 chromosomes. Molecular typing confirmed the Ogu CMS type in mustard CMS lines and the Cam type in their maintainers. CMS lines showed shorter filaments, pale yellow-white non-dehiscent anthers, and no pollen. Cytological observation revealed that pollen abortion in the CMS line initiated at the tetrad stage, characterised by the tapetal enlargement and microspore compression. Transcriptome analysis identified 7 595 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the CMS line and its maintainer, including 3 952 upregulated and 3 643 downregulated genes. Genes involved in lipid, fatty acid, and carbohydrate metabolism were predominantly downregulated, whereas those associated with mitochondrial organisation and reactive oxygen species responses were upregulated. Among the DEGs, we identified 513 transcription factors and 107 kinase genes. Integrating cytological and transcriptome data, we propose a putative abortion mechanism for this CMS system. Our findings not only provide novel male-sterile resources, including the first Ogu CMS line in root mustard, but also establish a theoretical foundation for heterosis breeding in mustard.

Keywords: Brassica juncea; cytoplasmic male sterility; pollen abortion; tapetum development; transcriptome analysis

Received: July 24, 2026; Revised: September 10, 2026; Accepted: September 11, 2026; Prepublished online: September 23, 2026 

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