Temperature-sensitive genic male sterility (TGMS) lines are widely used in the breeding of hybrid crops^1,2, but by what means temperature as a general environmental factor reverses the fertility of different TGMS lines remains unknown. Here, we identified an Arabidopsis TGMS line named reversible male sterile (rvms) that is fertile at low temperature (17 °C) and encodes a GDSL lipase. Cytological observations and statistical analysis showed that low temperature slows pollen development. Further screening of restorers of rvms, as well as crossing with a slow-growth line at normal temperature (24 °C), demonstrate that slowing of development overcomes the defects of rvms microspores and allows them to develop into functional pollen. Several other Arabidopsis TGMS lines were identified, and their fertility was also restored by slowing of development. Given that male reproductive development is conserved³, we propose that slowing of development is a general mechanism applicable to the sterility–fertility conversion of TGMS lines from different plant species.

温度敏感的雄性不育系（TGMS）被广泛用于杂种作物^1,2的育种中，但是温度作为一般环境因素如何逆转不同TGMS系的育性仍然未知。在这里，我们确定了一种名为可逆雄性不育（rvms）的拟南芥TGMS品系，该品系在低温（17°C）下可育并编码GDSL脂肪酶。细胞学观察和统计分析表明，低温会延缓花粉的发育。进一步筛选rvms的恢复子，以及在常温（24°C）下与缓慢生长的线交叉，证明发育的缓慢克服了rvms的缺陷小孢子并使其发育为功能性花粉。还鉴定了其他几种拟南芥TGMS系，并且通过减缓发育也恢复了它们的繁殖力。考虑到雄性生殖的发育是保守的³，我们认为发育的缓慢是适用于不同植物种类的TGMS系不育-育性转化的一般机制。