Pollen-Wall Proteins: Localization and Enzymic Activity

1970 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
R. B. KNOX ◽  
J. HESLOP-HARRISON
Keyword(s):  
Enzyme Activity ◽  
Pollen Tube ◽  
Early Period ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Spore Wall ◽  
Enzymic Activity ◽  
Developmental Study ◽  
Cosmos Bipinnatus ◽  
Pollen Types ◽  
Staining Methods

Cytochemical methods have been used to examine the distribution of acid phosphatase, ribonuclease, esterase, amylase and protease activity and protein in the walls of pollen grains and spores. Enzyme activity was detected in the walls of 50 angiosperm pollens, in pine, and in the spore wall of a species of Equisetum. Activity was absent from the 2 species of ferns examined. The survey covered all major structural pollen types. In all cases enzyme activity was associated principally with the intine, the inner cellulosic part of the wall. In all aperturate grains activity was concentrated in or around the apertural intine; that is, over or near the potential sites of emergence of the pollen tube. Protein concentrations in the intine at these sites could be demonstrated in several pollen types by staining methods and by absorption at 285 nm. Developmental study showed that the enzymes are incorporated in the intine during the early period of wall growth following the release of the spores from the melotic tetrads. During this period, stratified ribosomal endoplasmic reticulum lies adjacent to the inner spore wall over the areas of incorporation. In Cosmos bipinnatus, a composite, the material is incorporated as ribbons or leaflets, which interleave with cellulose lamellae. In other species the wall protein may take the form of granules, tubules or vesicles, embedded in the intine cellulose. At maturity the intine is separated from the spore cytoplasm by an intact plasmalemma, so the wall enzymes are to be regarded as being extracellular. In some species enzyme activity was detected in materials on the surface of the pollen exine derived probably from the surrounding tapetal tissue; however, this was usually insignificant compared with that shown by the intine. The intine enzymes are very readily leachable, and their function is probably connected with the early nutrition of the pollen tube and the penetration of the stigma. It is likely that the wall proteins make up a very large proportion of mobile protein of the pollen grain, and they may therefore be important in pollen allergenicity.

scholarly journals Pollen-Wall Proteins: Release of the Allergen Antigen E From intine and Exine Sites in Pollen Grains of Ragweed and Cosmos

1973 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 603-619
Author(s):  
B. J. HOWLETT ◽  
R. B. KNOX ◽  
J. HESLOP-HARRISON
Keyword(s):  
Aqueous Media ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Pollen Wall ◽  
Cytochemical Staining ◽  
Cosmos Bipinnatus ◽  
Associated Proteins ◽  
Staining Methods ◽  
Mobile Protein

Cytochemical staining methods and immunofluorescence techniques have been used to follow the release of proteins, including the allergen Antigen E, from whole pollen of ragweeds (Ambrosia spp.) and Cosmos bipinnatus (Compositae). These proteins have been detected in 2 sites in the wall: in the inner cellulosic intine layer especially at the germinal apertures, and in the cavea and the cavities of the outer exine layer, the sexine. It was found that the release of exine-associated proteins, including the allergenic fraction, begins within 2 s of contact with aqueous media, the loss being mainly through the micropores of the tectum at the bases of the sexine spines. The intine proteins were emitted more slowly, discharge beginning at the colpi after 1 min of moistening. So far as can be judged from the methods used, most of the mobile protein lost from the pollen of Cosmos on hydration comes from the exine and is therefore sporophytic in origin, while in the ragweeds the bulk comes from the intine in the neighbourhood of the germinal apertures, and so is gametophytic.

scholarly journals Two Expansin Genes, AtEXPA4 and AtEXPB5, Are Redundantly Required for Pollen Tube Growth and AtEXPA4 Is Involved in Primary Root Elongation in Arabidopsis thaliana

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 249
Author(s):  
Weimiao Liu ◽  
Liai Xu ◽  
Hui Lin ◽  
Jiashu Cao
Keyword(s):  
Arabidopsis Thaliana ◽  
Pollen Tube ◽  
Pollen Tube Growth ◽  
Cell Walls ◽  
Root Elongation ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Primary Root ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Tube Growth ◽  
Cell Wall Binding

The growth of plant cells is inseparable from relaxation and expansion of cell walls. Expansins are a class of cell wall binding proteins, which play important roles in the relaxation of cell walls. Although there are many members in expansin gene family, the functions of most expansin genes in plant growth and development are still poorly understood. In this study, the functions of two expansin genes, AtEXPA4 and AtEXPB5 were characterized in Arabidopsis thaliana. AtEXPA4 and AtEXPB5 displayed consistent expression patterns in mature pollen grains and pollen tubes, but AtEXPA4 also showed a high expression level in primary roots. Two single mutants, atexpa4 and atexpb5, showed normal reproductive development, whereas atexpa4atexpb5 double mutant was defective in pollen tube growth. Moreover, AtEXPA4 overexpression enhanced primary root elongation, on the contrary, knocking out AtEXPA4 made the growth of primary root slower. Our results indicated that AtEXPA4 and AtEXPB5 were redundantly involved in pollen tube growth and AtEXPA4 was required for primary root elongation.

Pollen Taphonomy in a Canyon Stream

1987 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 393-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia L. Fall
Keyword(s):  
Surface Soil ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Close Correlation ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Alluvial Deposits ◽  
Modern Pollen ◽  
Pollen Types ◽  
Pollen Rain ◽  
Arid Steppe ◽  
Turbulent Water

AbstractSurface soil samples from the forested Chuska Mountains to the arid steppe of the Chinle Valley, Northeastern Arizona, show close correlation between modern pollen rain and vegetation. In contrast, modern alluvium is dominated by Pinus pollen throughout the canyon; it reflects neither the surrounding floodplain nor plateau vegetation. Pollen in surface soils is deposited by wind; pollen grains in alluvium are deposited by a stream as sedimentary particles. Clay-size particles correlate significantly with Pinus, Quercus, and Populus pollen. These pollen types settle, as clay does, in slack water. Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthus, Artemisia, other Tubuliflorae, and indeterminate pollen types correlate with sand-size particles, and are deposited by more turbulent water. Fluctuating pollen frequencies in alluvial deposits are related to sedimentology and do not reflect the local or regional vegetation where the sediments were deposited. Alluvial pollen is unreliable for reconstruction of paleoenvironments.

scholarly journals Pollen tube incompatibility reaction on the stigma in selfpollinated Sinapis alba L.

2014 ◽  
Vol 65 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 101-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renata Śnieżko ◽  
Krystyna Winiarczyk
Keyword(s):  
Pollen Tube ◽  
Pollen Tube Growth ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Pollen Tubes ◽  
Sinapis Alba ◽  
Pollen Grain ◽  
Tube Growth ◽  
Sinapis Alba L ◽  
Growth Changes ◽  
Incompatibility Reaction

After selfpollination of <em>Sinapis alba</em> L. pollen tubes growth is inhibited on the stigma. The pollen grains germinate 3-4 hours after pollination. The pollen give rise to one or more pollen tubes. They grow along the papillae. In the place of contact between the papilla and pollen tube the pellicula is digested. Then the direction of pollen tube growth changes completely. Pollen tubes grow back on the exine of their own pollen grain, or turn into the air. The pollen tubes growth was inhibited in 6-8 hours after selfpollination. After crosspollination usually there is no incompatibility reaction.

scholarly journals Airborne pollen observations using a multi-wavelength Raman polarization lidar in Finland: characterization of pure pollen types

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoxia Shang ◽  
Elina Giannakaki ◽  
Stephanie Bohlmann ◽  
Maria Filioglou ◽  
Annika Saarto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optical Properties ◽  
Airborne Pollen ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Wavelength Dependence ◽  
Depolarization Ratio ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Pollen Types ◽  
Pine Pollen ◽  
Significant Wavelength ◽  
532 Nm

Abstract. We present a novel algorithm for characterizing the optical properties of pure pollen particles, based on the depolarization values obtained in lidar measurements. The algorithm was first tested and validated through a simulator, and then applied to the lidar observations during a four-month pollen campaign from May to August 2016 at the European Aerosol Research Lidar Network (EARLINET) station in Kuopio (62°44′ N, 27°33′ E), in Eastern Finland. Twenty types of pollen were observed and identified from concurrent measurements with Burkard sampler; Birch (Betula), pine (Pinus), spruce (Picea) and nettle (Urtica) pollen were most abundant, contributing more than 90 % of total pollen load, regarding number concentrations. Mean values of lidar-derived optical properties in the pollen layer were retrieved for four intense pollination periods (IPPs). Lidar ratios at both 355 and 532 nm ranged from 55 to 70 sr for all pollen types, without significant wavelength-dependence. Enhanced depolarization ratio was found when there were pollen grains in the atmosphere, and even higher depolarization ratio (with mean values of 25 % or 14 %) was observed with presence of the more non-spherical spruce or pine pollen. The depolarization ratio at 532 nm of pure pollen particles was assessed, resulting to 24 ± 3 % and 36 ± 5 % for birch and pine pollen, respectively. Pollen optical properties at 1064 nm and 355 nm were also estimated. The backscatter-related Ångström exponent between 532 and 1064 nm was assessed as ~ 0.8 (~ 0.5) for pure birch (pine) pollen, thus the longer wavelength would be better choice to trace pollen in the air. The pollen depolarization ratio at 355 nm of 17 % and 30 % were found for birch and pine pollen, respectively. The depolarization values show a wavelength dependence for pollen. This can be the key parameter for pollen detection and characterization.

scholarly journals Two groups of Arabidopsis receptor kinases preferentially regulate the growth of intraspecies pollen tubes in the female reproductive tract

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyun Kyung Lee ◽  
Daphne R. Goring
Keyword(s):  
Pollen Tube ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Cell Communication ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Pollen Tubes ◽  
Female Reproductive Tract ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Knockout Mutant ◽  
Receptor Kinases ◽  
Compatible Pollen

SummaryIn flowering plants, continuous cell-cell communication between the compatible male pollen grain/growing pollen tube and the female pistil is required for successful sexual reproduction. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the later stages of this dialogue are mediated by several peptide ligands and receptor kinases that guide pollen tubes to the ovules for the release of sperm cells. Despite a detailed understanding of these processes, a key gap remains on the nature of the regulators that function at the earlier stages. Here, we report on two groups of A. thaliana receptor kinases, the LRR-VIII-2 RK subclass and the SERKs, that function in the female reproductive tract to regulate the compatible pollen grains and early pollen tube growth, both essential steps for the downstream processes leading to fertilization. Multiple A. thaliana LRR-VIII-2 RK and SERK knockout mutant combinations were created, and several phenotypes were observed such as reduced wild-type pollen hydration and reduced pollen tube travel distances. As these mutant pistils displayed a wild-type morphology, the observed altered responses of the wild-type pollen are proposed to result from the loss of these receptor kinases leading to an impaired pollen-pistil dialogue at these early stages. Furthermore, using pollen from related Brassicaceae species, we also discovered that these receptor kinases are required in the female reproductive tract to establish a reproductive barrier to interspecies pollen. Thus, we propose that the LRR-VIII-2 RKs and the SERKs play a dual role in the preferential selection and promotion of intraspecies pollen over interspecies pollen.

scholarly journals Tradescantia bracteata pollen in vitro: pollen tubes development and mitosis

2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 587-598 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Lewandowska ◽  
M. Charzyńska
Keyword(s):  
Pollen Tube ◽  
Generative Cell ◽  
Metaphase Plate ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Neutral Red ◽  
Generative Nucleus ◽  
Mitotic Spindles ◽  
Germinating Pollen ◽  
Vacuolar System

About 90 per cent of <i>Tradescantia bracteata</i> pollen germinates <i>in vitro</i> after 15 min. Mitosis starts in the pollen tube after about 3 h. The mitotic trans-formations of chromosomes within the generative nucleus are not synchronized. They involve succesively the linearly arranged chromosomes in the elongated generative nucleus. In metaphase the chromosomes are arranged tandem-like linearly along the pollen tube. The chromatides translocate in anaphase from various distances to the poles in a plane parallel to the metaphase plate. This suggests that chromosomes have individual mitotic spindles and that coordination of the chromosome transformations in the generative cell is much less strict than in a typical somatic mitosis. Starch is the storage material of pollen grains. In the vegetative cytoplasm of mature pollen grains minute reddish-orange vesicular structures are visible after staining with neutral red. They do not fuse with the vacuoles proper arising in germinating pollen grains to form the vacuolar system of the pollen tube.

scholarly journals Impact of Manganese on Pollen Germination and Tube Growth in Lily

2021 ◽  
Vol 74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Sawidis ◽  
Gülriz Baycu ◽  
Elżbieta Weryszko-Chmielewska ◽  
Aneta Sulborska
Keyword(s):  
Pollen Tube ◽  
Pollen Germination ◽  
Surrounding Medium ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Lilium Longiflorum ◽  
Tube Growth ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Main Effect

Abstract In vitro culture of Lilium longiflorum pollen grains was carried out to determine the role of manganese in pollen germination and pollen tube growth. Pollen germination was adversely affected by the presence of manganese (>10 −8 M), whereas low concentrations (10 −12 –10 −10 M) stimulated the process. Manganese caused morphological anomalies during tube growth, characterized by irregular pollen tube thickening and swollen tips. The main effect was the anomalous cell wall formation at the tip, in which the presence of several organelles reduced the number of secretory vesicles. A loose network of fibrillar material and spherical aggregates, mostly in the tip region, was detected, and this material was progressively loosened into the surrounding medium. As a response to potential toxicity, the excess manganese was isolated in vacuoles, which formed an internal barrier against penetration of manganese to the tip area. Elevated manganese concentrations might affect plant reproduction, resulting in anomalies in gamete development. Consequently, the loss in genetic diversity and decreased fruit set ultimately lower yield.

A study on the pollen morphology of the genus Combretum Loefl. and its taxonomic significance

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 131-142
Author(s):  
Gamal E. B. E.B. El Ghazali
Keyword(s):  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Polar View ◽  
Taxonomic Revision ◽  
Molecular Classification ◽  
Ecological Indicator ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Pollen Types ◽  
Specific Variation ◽  
Palynological Study

Pollen grains of 92 species (from 99 collections) belonging to the genus Com-bretum (Combretaceae) were examined by Light Microscope (LM) and Scan-ning Electron Microscope (SEM). These species are representatives of vari-ous taxa outlined in the latest taxonomic revision of the genus. The genus belongs to a tropical or subtropical family, frequently encountered in various Quaternary deposits and acts as ecological indicator in various habitats. Pol-len grains of all members of the genus Combretum examined are hetero-colpate (with three simple apertures alternating with three composite ones) and exhibited wide range of inter-specific variation with respect to polar axes (P), Equatorial diameters (E), P/E ratios, shape classes, shape in polar view, costae pori, vestibula, protrusion of endoapertures and exine sculptur-ings. Species delimitation in these nine characters is tabulated. Four shape classes, eight exine sculpturings and seven pollen types were recognized. A key for identification to these pollen types is presented and the species in-cluded in each of these types are also outlined. Previous macro-morphological and molecular classification of the genus were discussed in the light of the present palynological study.

Sporoderm morphogenesis in Euphorbia obesa and Croton gratissimus

Bothalia ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 14 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 849-856 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. L. Frean
Keyword(s):  
Pollen Morphology ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Physiological Adaptation ◽  
Structure Characteristic ◽  
Pollen Type ◽  
Electron Microscope Level ◽  
Pollen Characters ◽  
Pollen Types ◽  
Unisexual Flowers ◽  
Taxonomic Grouping

Pollen grains of the Euphorbiaceae show a number of pollen types which can be clearly distinguished. Generally different genera are characterized by a specific pollen type.  Euphorbia obesa Hook. f. and Croton gratissimus Burch, subsp.  subgratissimus (Prain) Burtt Davy, represent two genera within the Crotonoideae with different morphology, each type characteristic for the respective genus. Taxonomically, the genus Euphorbia with apetalous flowers consisting of a naked pistil surrounded by several staminate flowers within a cyathium, is considered more advanced than the genus  Croton. In  Croton the inflorescence is a raceme with unisexual flowers. The floral whorls of the male show numerous anthers and both calyx and a showy corolla are present. Both genera are insect pollinated. In both  Euphorbia obesa and  Croton gratissimus the pollen wall in section shows columellae, a structure characteristic of angiosperms. However the present ontogenetic studies show that the formation of the columellae differs entirely in the two pollen types. The final stratification of the wall as well as the morphology of the grains differ and evaluation of the exine structure indicates that phylogenetically Croton pollen shows more advanced characters than  Euphorbia — contradicting the floral phylogeny. This study conducted at light and electron microscope level compares the two pollen types morphologically and ontogenetically, concentrating mainly on the formation of the exine which is tectate-perforate in the prolate tricolpate grain of Euphorbia obesa and semi-tectate in the anaperturate, spheroidal grain of Croton gratissimus. The aim of the study was to evaluate the significance of pollen characters in taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships within the Euphorbiaceae. The differing pollen morphology which is related to the taxonomic grouping of tribes within the subfamily (Crotonoideae) emphasizes diversity, which may result from physiological adaptation. The study shows that the same functional end may well be achieved in different ways and this may be a factor underlying the diversity in the heterogeneous family Euphorbiaceae.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document