Simulated Self-assembly of Spore Exines |
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| Authors: | HEMSLEY, ALAN R. VINCENT, BRIAN COLLINSON, MARGARET E. GRIFFITHS, PETER C. |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Earth Sciences, University of Wales Cardiff, PO Box 914, Cardiff, CF1 3YE, Wales, UK School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol, BS8 1TS, UK Geology Department, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK Department of Chemistry, University of Wales Cardiff, PO Box 912, Cardiff, CF1 3TB, Wales, UK |
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| Abstract: | The spores and pollen of higher plants have enormous value intaxonomic studies by contributing to our understanding of pastand present biodiversity, and of environmental change. The criticalfeatures used in species identification are wall structure andsurface pattern. However, ultrastructural and histo-developmentalstudies of spore and pollen walls have, so far, provided limitedexplanation of wall construction and surface pattern formation.The consistency of pattern form within any species suggestsa high degree of genetic regulation, and yet few templates orother mechanisms of control have been demonstrated. Our experimentsshow that all layers and organizations within the spore wallof our test plant group (lycopodiopsid megaspores) can be simulatedby the flocculation of mixed colloidal systems. This leads usto a possible explanation of the mode of genetic control overpattern formation. It also provides a feasible, largely self-assembling,mechanism of construction which has the potential to reflectthe diversity of structure known to exist in all spore and pollenwalls.Copyright 1998 Annals of Botany Company Simulated self-assembly, spore exine development, sporopollenin, Lycopodiopsida, polyballs. |
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