Flow cytometric characterization of microspore development in Brassica napus
Flow cytometry was found to be sensitive to change in the physical characteristics of developing Brassica napus microspores. By measuring forward angle (10° – 19°) light scatter (FALS) and log 90° light scatter (L90LS) several stages of microspore development were characterized in small (1.5 mm to 2.5 mm), medium (2.5 mm to 3.5 mm), and large (3.5 mm to 4.5 mm) buds. Cell sorting was used to identify the types of cells that made up the subpopulations in two parameter plots of FALS versus L90LS including tetrad, translucent, trilobate, round, and oval microspores. Microspore development was found to be synchronous in the variety that was studied (‘Topas’) since only a few stages were found in each bud-size category. The study defined the normal process of pollen ontogeny in terms of the changes in light scatter that the cells underwent and demonstrated that flow cytometry is a useful method for analyzing this process. Key words: flow cytometry, Brassica napus, microspores, pollen, light scatter.