Do s genes or deleterious recessives control late-acting self-incompatibility in Handroanthus heptaphyllus (Bignoniaceae)? A diallel study with four full-sib progeny arrays.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Genetically controlled self-incompatibility (SI) mechanisms constrain selfing and thus have contributed to the evolutionary diversity of flowering plants. In homomorphic gametophytic SI (GSI) and homomorphic sporophytic SI (SSI), genetic control is usually by the single multi-allelic locus S. Both GSI and SSI prevent self pollen tubes reaching the ovary and so are pre-zygotic in action. In contrast, in taxa with late-acting self-incompatibility (LSI), rejection is often post-zygotic, since self pollen tubes grow to the ovary, where fertilization may occur prior to floral abscission. Alternatively, lack of self fruit set could be due to early-acting inbreeding depression (EID). The aim of our study was to investigate mechanisms underlying the lack of selfed fruit set in Handroanthus heptaphyllus in order to assess the likelihood of LSI versus EID. METHODS: We employed four full-sib diallels to study the genetic control of LSI in H. heptaphyllus using a precociously flowering variant. We also used fluorescence microscopy to study the incidence of ovule penetration by pollen tubes in pistils that abscised following pollination or initiated fruits. KEY RESULTS: All diallels showed reciprocally cross-incompatible full sibs (RCIs), reciprocally cross-compatible full sibs (RCCs) and non-reciprocally compatible full sibs (NRCs) in almost equal proportions. There was no significant difference between the incidences of ovule penetrations in abscised pistils following self- and cross-incompatible pollinations, but those in successful cross-pollinations were around 2-fold greater. CONCLUSIONS: A genetic model postulating a single S locus with four S alleles, one of which, in the maternal parent, is dominant to the other three, will produce RCI, RCC and NRC full sib situations each at 33 %, consistent with our diallel results. We favour this simple genetic control over an EID explanation since none of our pollinations, successful or unsuccessful, resulted in partial embryo development, as would be expected under a whole-genome EID effect.

Pulmonary thromboembolism secondary to pelvic thrombosis related to giant ovarian tumor.

Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is one of the major complications in oncologic patients. The incidence of PTE in these cases is 4 to 7 times higher than in non-oncologic patients. Ovarian tumors, specifically those of large sizes, may impair the blood flow through the pelvic veins as tumor pressure over the pelvic vessels increases the incidence of thrombosis. The authors report the case of the unexpected death of a 74-year-old female due to massive pulmonary thromboembolism, associated with an ovarian tumor almost of 15 kg of weight that filled the abdominal and pelvic cavities. The compressive effect on the walls of the pudendal and periuterine veins somehow facilitated the local thrombosis. According to the histological characterization on post-mortem samples, the mass was identified as an "atypical proliferative (borderline) mucinous tumor." The case emphasizes the important association between pulmonary thromboembolism and ovarian tumors.

Pulmonary thromboembolism secondary to pelvic thrombosis related to giant ovarian tumor

Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is one of the major complications in oncologic patients. The incidence of PTE in these cases is 4 to 7 times higher than in non-oncologic patients. Ovarian tumors, specifically those of large sizes, may impair the blood flow through the pelvic veins as tumor pressure over the pelvic vessels increases the incidence of thrombosis. The authors report the case of the unexpected death of a 74-year-old female due to massive pulmonary thromboembolism, associated with an ovarian tumor almost of 15 kg of weight that filled the abdominal and pelvic cavities. The compressive effect on the walls of the pudendal and periuterine veins somehow facilitated the local thrombosis. According to the histological characterization on post-mortem samples, the mass was identified as an "atypical proliferative (borderline) mucinous tumor." The case emphasizes the important association between pulmonary thromboembolism and ovarian tumors