Self-incompatibility (SI) is a common strategy to avoid inbreeding and, consequently, keep genetic diversity within a species. In its mechanism, pollen rejection happens in the style when the single multiallelic locus (
SFB in
prunus species) of the haploid pollen matches one of
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Self-incompatibility (SI) is a common strategy to avoid inbreeding and, consequently, keep genetic diversity within a species. In its mechanism, pollen rejection happens in the style when the single multiallelic locus (
SFB in
prunus species) of the haploid pollen matches one of the S-alleles existing in the diploid pistil. The
SFB gene for the pollen S gene has been identified in many
Prunus species. However, Japanese apricot is a species with a typical gametophytic self-incompatibility (GSI), and its
SFB alleles available are limited, although they are required for studying GSI. Therefore, we used an AS-PCR amplification method, sequencing, and the pair primers SFB-C1F and Pm-Vb designed based on the conserved region of the
Prunus SFB gene to identify
SFB genotypes of 48 Japanese apricot (
P. mume) accessions. Eleven novel
SFB alleles were isolated from these accessions and shared typical structural features with
SFB alleles from other
Prunus species. These novel
SFB alleles were uniquely expressed in pollen. Hence, we concluded that these 11
PmSFB were pollen S determinants of
P. mume. This current study offers the novel
SFB genes of the
P. mume S locus, which could be a useful potential resource for studies on pollen SI mechanisms.
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