Confirmation of a Gametophytic Self-Incompatibility in .

, a wild species of African origin, has been reported to exhibit self-incompatibility (SI). However, the genetic pattern of its SI remained unknown. In this study, we conducted self-pollination and reciprocal cross-pollination experiments to verify that is a strictly self-incompatible species. The staining of pollen with aniline blue following self-pollination revealed that although pollen could germinate on the stigma, the pollen tube was unable to enter the style to complete pollination, thereby resulting in gametophytic self-incompatibility (GSI). , a -locus male determinant in the gametophytic SI system of perennial ryegrass, is predicted to encode a DUF247 protein. On the basic of chromosome alignment with , we identified and as candidate genes in . Chromosome segment analysis revealed that the candidate gene of () is a polymorphic gene located in a region flanking . was expressed mainly in the stamens, whereas was expressed in both the stamens and pistils. was specifically highly expressed in the pistils, as revealed by RT-PCR and qRT-PCR analyses. Collectively, our observations indicate the occurrence of GSI in and that this process is potentially controlled by , , and . These findings provide further insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying self-compatibility in plants.