Pollen Ultrastructure in Anther Cultures of Nicotiana tabacum: II. CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH EMBRYOGENESIS

In ultrathin sections of 7- and 8-d-old anther cultures of Nicotianatabacum examined in the electron microscope, embryogenic pollenwas distinguished by the presence of zones in the cytoplasmof the vegetative cell consisting of multivesiculate bodiesresembling lysosomes. These zones increased with time, and in12-d-old samples (in which divisions of the vegetative cellwere about to commence), were almost devoid of contents. Ribosomesappeared to be virtually eliminated from the cell and many otherorganelles degraded; the few that remained, mainly plastids,were clustered around and in close contact with the vegetativenucleus. Plastid contents also declined with time, but mitochondrialstructure changed little. It is concluded that the gametophyticcytoplasm is destroyed before the first sporophytic divisionsof the vegetative cell. In the same sections, other structurally viable pollen whichlacked lysigenous zones was characterized by dense vegetativecytoplasm containing numerous small vacuoles. Mitochondrialand plastid structure differed from that of the embryogenicgrains, and in some instances lacked clear structural definition.Extensive stacks of rough e.r., which traversed the cytoplasmof the vegetative cell, were interpreted as assembly sites forexcess gametophytic protein and RNA synthesised during the cultureperiod.     

Pollen Ultrastructure in Anther Cultures of Nicotiana tabacum: I. EARLY STAGES OP CULTURE

Ultrathin sections of 2- and of 5-day-old cultured tobacco anthersinoculated at the stage of the first pollen mitosis were examinedin the electron microscope in an attempt to identify early structuralchanges associated with pollen embryogenesis. On both samplingoccasions grains were observed with structural features of typicalbicellular gametophytes but lacking starch. Some of these grainswere atypical in that they possessed numerous small vacuolesin both cells. There was no obvious change in organelle structurein either cell from 2 to 5 d, though there was evidence of anincrease in ribosomes and other organelles in the vegetativecell. Gametophytes possessing starch were also present but inrelatively low numbers. At 5 d, pollen tubes and grains havingstructure characteristic of germinating pollen were also encountered. It is concluded that embryogenesis begins after a short periodof normal gametophytic differentiation which, during the first2 d of culture, proceeds at much the same rate as in vivo. Subsequentlythe rate declines and gametophytic processes gradually cometo a halt. Starch formation is suppressed.     

烟草花发育过程中花药和花粉IAA分布规律的研究

以烟草（Nicotiana tabacumL.）花药为材料,通过4’,6-二脒基-2-苯基吲哚（DAPI）染色详细观察花粉发育过程,获得了花药发育时期与花蕾大小的对应关系;通过吲哚乙酸（IAA）单克隆抗体、免疫组织化学技术以及DR5∶∶GUS转基因植株的GUS活性对花药和花粉发育过程中生长素的分布规律进行了研究。免疫酶标记结果表明,在不同的花药发育时期IAA水平呈现出明显的差别。小孢子母细胞时期,IAA在整个花药中均有分布,并且在小孢子母细胞发育晚期,IAA信号集中在小孢子母细胞的细胞核中;随着小孢子母细胞减数分裂后形成四分体,IAA信号逐渐减弱,四分体中几乎没有信号;单核花粉期的花药中IAA信号进一步减弱,仅存在于花药壁中;待小孢子继续发育为成熟二核期时,花粉和整个花药组织中均出现较强的IAA信号。GUS活性检测结果表明,烟草DR5∶∶GUS转基因植株中花药和花粉粒的GUS信号与IAA免疫酶定位结果基本一致。总的来说,IAA在烟草花药和花粉中的积累呈现出由强到弱、再由弱到强的分布规律,暗示IAA在被子植物花药和花粉发育过程中可能起着较为重要的作用。     

Anther cultures of Nicotiana tabacum L. mutants

Summary The theoretically expected and experimentally observed phenotypic ratios have been compared in populations of haploids derived from chlorophyll mutants of Nicotiana tabacum L. with a known genotypic constitution. The frequencies of mutant genotypes were significantly lower than the expected values, proving the existence of selection in a system of haploid embryoids developing in the anther.The anthers from M₁ plants of a diploidized Nicotiana tabacum haploid cv. Samsun, treated with various concentrations of N-nitroso-N-methylurea and n-butylmethane sulphonate, were cultivated in vitro. The number of anthers which gave rise to haploids (embryogenic anthers) was stimulated by lower concentrations of both the mutagens. The stimulation at the level of M₁ sporophyte is explained by internal genetic heterogeneity induced by adequate mutagen concentration. The average number of haploids per embryogenic anther decreased in all the treatments. The frequency of haploid plants of the mutant phenotypes increased with increasing mutagen concentration.     

Isolation of Pollen Protoplasts in Nicotiana tabacum

A new method for isolation of quantities of mature pollen protoplasts in Nicotiana tabacum has been established. The first step was to germinate mature pollen in Brewbaker and Kwack medium containing 20% sucrose. When most of the pollen grains had just germinated short pollen tubes, they were transferred to an enzymatic solution for the second step. The enzymatic solution contained 1% pectinase, 1% cellulase, 0.5% potassium dextran sulfate, 1 mol/L mannitol, 0.4 mol/L sorbitol in Dx medium with or without 15% Ficoll. The enzymes firstly degraded the pollen tube wall and then the intine. As a result, intact pollen protoplasts were released with the isolation rate up to 50%-70%. Factors affecting pollen protoplast isolation during the germination and maceration of pollen grains were studied. The suceees depended on two key points:pollen germination duration and osmotieum concentration. The optimal germination duration was 30 rain at 30℃. When it was too long, long pollen tubes formed and subsequently, large number of subprotoplasts instead of whole protoplasts were yielded, as the case reported by previous investigators. The optimal concentration of mannitol and sorbitol in enzyme solution was as high as 1.4 mol/L in total. Lowering of the osmoticum concentration resulted in decrease of percentage of pollen protoplasts.     

Anther Culture in Nicotiana tabacum: The Role of the Culture Vessel Atmosphere in Pollen Embryo Induction and Growth

A comparison of four volumes of culture vessel atmosphere revealedthat this variable greatly influenced the induction and growthof pollen embryos from anthers of Nicotiana tabacum. The optimumfrequency of anthers producing embryos and plantlets was foundwith a culture atmosphere of 15 ml per anther, whereas the optimumnumber of plantlets was found with 5.5 ml per anther. A smallvolume (0.5 ml per anther) almost completely suppressed embryoinduction. Removal of specific components of the culture atmosphere(ethylene, carbon dioxide, oxygen) influenced the response ofthe anthers but did not produce a satisfactory explanation ofthe inhibition of pollen embryogenesis by the small cultureatmosphere volume. In particular, the influence of ethyleneabsorption on embryo induction and growth depended both on theculture atmosphere volume and on the stage of development ofthe pollen at the start of culture. Using anthers containingpollen at a stage after the first pollen grain mitosis. ethyleneabsorption was found to increase the survival of induced embryos.Treatment of anthers for 3 d with silver nitrate, a known antagonistof ethylene action, was not an efficient means of increasingthe yield of pollen plantlets.     

Embryoid Formation in Pollen Grains of Nicotiana tabacum

Anthers of Nicotiana tabacum (n = 24) were cultured on nutrientagar and examined at intervals for pollen embryoids. Embryoidswere formed in anthers of varying developmental stage, the youngestof which coincided with the liberation of free microspores fromtetrads, and the oldest with the formation of bicellular grains.This period in the development of the anther occupied 4–5days. Older anthers within this range were more successful thanyounger anthers. The first mitosis of the pollen was typicallyasymmetric and resulted in the formation of unequal generativeand vegetative cells. Some of the grains then went into a lagphase for at least 5–6 days, after which the mitotic conditionwas restored. Embryoids were formed by repeated division ofthe vegetative cell. If the generative cell divided, it didso only once or twice. Occasionally the first mitosis was symmetricand gave rise to equal cells, and in these instances both cellsprobably participated in embryoid formation. The youngest anthersexamined were probably less successful because fewer grainssurvived to enter mitosis. The number of embryoids produced varied considerably from oneanther to another both within the same bud and between differentbuds: values ranging from less than 400 to 10 000 per antherwere encountered. Most of these degenerated after the firstfew divisions, partly because they burst prematurely from thepollen grain wall. Embryoids which continued to develop formedplantlets and/or callus. The largest number of plantlets obtainedfrom one anther was 32. Haploid plantlets were also regeneratedfrom callus by transferring it to a low-sugar medium withoutauxin. The behaviour of grains not forming embryoids was also noted.     

Tryptophan Biosynthesis in Cell Cultures of Nicotiana tabacum

Some of the general features of the pathway for l-tryptophan biosynthesis in cell cultures of Nicotiana tabccum var. Wisc. 38 have been investigated. The results of both isotope competition and direct-labeling experiments show that shikimic acid, anthranilic acid, indoleglycerol phosphate, and indole can serve as precursors to l-tryptophan in these cells, indicating that, in terms of its biochemical intermediates, the pathway is similar to that described for the bacteria and fungi.     

Pollen Heteromorphism in Nicotiana tabacum (Solanaceae)

Pollen heteromorphism is defined as the production by a single plant of different fertile pollen types in all its anthers, and thus all flowers, throughout its life cycle. Eight cultivars of Nicotiana tabacum, as well as its ancestors (N. tabacum is an amphiploid hybrid 4 × from a cross between N. sylvestris and N. tomentosiformis) and recent hybrids were analyzed. Most cultivars and the hybrids are heteromorphic (producing 3- and 4-aperturate pollen grains), whereas both parent species are homomorphic (3-aperturate). Heteromorphism is a common consequence of polyploidization and these results agree with this interpretation. There is a significant variation in the proportions of the two pollen types among cultivars (genetic component), but also (with a much lower component of variance) within each cultivar, between plants (genets), flowers of a plant, and even anthers of a flower. This is interpreted as a release of the selective pressure: the cultivars of N. tabacum were obtained after several generations of selfing and are themselves selfers. Selfing, by removing pollen mixtures on a stigma, removes pollen competition, which is the drive for heteromorphism, and allows for a large variation of the proportions of the different pollen types.     

Histo-Cytological Observations on Callus and Bud Formation in Cultures of Nicotiana tabacum L.

Leaf explants of tobacco were cultured on MS medium supplemented with 2 mg/ l NAA and 0.5 mg/l BA for induction of callus formation, or supplemented with 2 mg/l BA for bud formation. Histocytological observations on callus and bud formation were carried out. Three days after cultivation, mesophyll cells enlarged, the nuclei became more apparent and dark stained, and starch accumulated in the cells. Cell divisions began in the mesophyll cells at the cut ends, in the palisade cells near the vascular bundles and in the vascular parenchyma. Mitotic activity then spreaded over tbc explants, and was most active at the edges of leaf explants. Regular rows of cells appeared as a result of series of transverse divisions in the palisade. The number of chloroplast in the mesophyll cells decreased and degenerated gradually. A number of meristemoids ware initiated in the cultured leaf explants after 7 days of cultivation. They were originated from two kinds of tissues, the mesophyll and vascular bundle, including the phloem parenchyma and vascular sheath. On the medium with NAA and BA, callus formation was induced with vigorous divisions, whereas bud primordia were differentiated from the meristomoids on the medimn with 2 mg/l BA. The buds were developed from both the superficial meristemoids and the meristematic regions deep within the callused leaf explants. The accumulated starch in the cells gradually disappeared as bud formation proceeded.     

Development of Pollen Embryoids in Anther Cultures of Datura innoxia: II. EFFECTS OF GROWTH HORMONES

In anther cultures of Datura innoxia the addition of growthhormones, such as auxins, gibberellins, and cytokinins, to theculture medium enhanced the production of pollen embryoids.Cytokinins appeared to be the most effective and, among thefour cytokinins tested, zeatin and kinetin gave the best results.Generally speaking, combinations of hormones did not improvethe response over that of an individual hormone. The numberof embryoids per anther varied in the same medium and did notstrictly correlate with the percentage of responding anthers.     

Isolation and Early in Vitro Development of Young Pollen Protoplasts in Nicotiana tabacum

For isolating young pollen protoplasts in Nicotiana tabacum. The authors had established two efficient enzymatic methods via anther preculture or pollen starvation pretreatment. Procedure of the first method included the following steps: 1. Cold pretreatment of flower buds with pollen at late unicellular to early bicellular stage; 2. Anther floating culture for pollen shedding into the culture medium followed by dehiscence of exine; 3. Enzymatic maceration of exine-dehisced pollen resulting in degradation of intine and release of pollen protoplasts in large quantity. Procedure of the second method involved the following steps: 1. Culture of pollen at middle bicellular in Kyo and Harada' B medium for starvation: 2. Enzymatic maceration of starvated pollen resulting in release of pollen protoplasts and subprotoplasts. Factors affecting the results of both methods as well as early in vitro developmental events of young pollen protoplasts were studied. The protoplasts could be induced either to trigger the first sporophytic division or to continue the gametophytic pathway leading germinatation of pollen tubes !ndicating their potentiality of inducing both sporophytic and gametophytic development of pathway. In rare instance a quite interesting phenomenon was observed that a pollen protoplast first divided into two daughter cells and one of which then germinated a pollen tube. It may insinuate that such pollen protoplasts initially induced a sporophytic pathway could reverse induce a gametophytic pathway.     

Intrinsic GUS Activity in Various Tissues and During Pollen Development of Nicotiana tabacum

The β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene has been widely used as a reporter gene in the study of plant molecular biology and genetic engineering. One of the major reasons leading to the popularity of GUS-fusion system was the belief that there was no detectable intrinsic GUS activity in plant tissues. However, investigators have been troubled by the "false positive" results or "background" activities when GUS assays were performed. In the present experiment, histochemical observations of intrinsic GUS activity in various tissues and during pollen development of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacurn L. ) was carried out using 5-bromo-4- chloro-3-indolyl-β-D-glucuronic acid (X-gluc) as a substrate for overnight incubation of the treated tissues at 37℃. No detectable intrinsic GUS activity was found in seedling root, stem, leaf, anther wall and stigma of different stages, ovule, as well as isolated generative cell and embryo sac. During pollen development, two peaks of intrinsic GUS activity appeared, one, close to the microspore mitosis and the other from the full maturation of pollen lasting to the post-germination pollen tube stage, no or weak activity was found at other pollen developmental stages. GUS was located in the cytoplasm of the pollen. The pH value of staining solution strongly influenced the experimental results. Blue color was visualized at pH 5, even when 20% methanol or 0.2 mmol/L glucaric acid-l-4-1actone (GAL, a specific GUS inhibitor) were added. At pH 7, no detectable reaction was found at all. The aforementioned results indicate that when using tobacco pollen as the target of GUS gene transformation, the assay should be strictly controlled to neutral condition for avoiding false positive resuits.     

Exine-Detached Pollen of Nicotiana tabacum as an Electroporation Target for Gene Transfer

In developing alternative systems for plant transformation the authors investigated the use of male gametophyte as the foreign gene receptor. However, delivery of foreign DNA into pollen is difficult because of the existence of a thick exine, therefore a new experimental system was developed using exine-detached pollen (EDP) of Nicotiana tabacum as an electroporation target which was also compared with germinating pollen (GP) and pollen grains (P). A transient GUS expression assay was conducted to analyze the effects of different electroporation conditions and promoter activity. The pollen-specific promoter Zml3 from Zea mays mediated high level of GUS gene expression but CaMV 35S only had very low activity in both EDP and GP. The optimal field strength for gene transfer was obtained at 750 V/cm for EDP and 1250 V/cm for GP when the time constant of pulse was 13 ms. The GUS activity in EDP had a 5-fold increase as compared with GP and P respectively. The level of GUS gene expression was slightly increased when adding 10 % PEG into the electroporation buffer. This result indicates that pollen deprived of exine responds much better to foreign gene transfer than the previously used intact pollen grains and may be a better vector to introduce, via pollen tube, genes into the egg cell and offsprings.     

Studies on Induction of Pollen Plantlets from the Anther Cultures of Lily

Anthers with the filament of lily (Lilium davidii var. Willmottiae (Wilson) Roffill) were cultured on modified MS medium. Supplemented with different concentrations and compatible ratios of growth hormones (Z 2 mg/L,or 2,4-D 2 mg/L + KT 2mg/L, or 2,4-D 4mg/L+ 6 BA 2 mg/L). At this time the pollen grains in the anthers were at the late uninueleate stage. Anther cultures were incubated at 25—27 ℃, and illuminated with daylight of about 800–1200 lx. After 30 days, the calli or embryoids were produced from anthers. The frequency of the calli or embryoids induction was 8.89%. After transfer eventually to the differentiation medium, these calli or embryoids developed into plantlets in 70 days. Among the root tips of regenerated plantlets haploid, diploid and aneuploid cells were found, but the haploid cells were produced in about 86.4% of the root tips. It is quite evident that haploid plantlets are derived from the pollen grains.     

Effects of Nifedipine on Pollen Germination,Pollen Tube Growth and Division of Generative Nucleus in Nicotiana tabacum

The deals with the effects of nifedipine (Nif), a Ca2+ channel blocker of rather high specificity, on pollen germination, pollen tube growth and division of generative nucleus (GN) in experimentlly germinated pollen tubes of Nicotiana tabacurn L. Pollen germination was inhibited by the addition of 10-4 mol/L Nif whereas no significant inhibition by 10-7~10-5 mol/L Nif was observed. The effects of Nif on pollen tube growth were related to its concentration and duration of treatment. At the earlier stage, tube growth was promoted at the lower concentrations (10-7~10-5 mol/L), but was significantly inhibited at a concentration of 10 4 mol/L Nif. With increasing time of culture, even the lower concentrations also became harmful; the stronger the concentration, the earlier the transition from promotion to inhibition. Generally, inhibition of tube growth occurred within 24 hours of culture with different extent in various concentrations. Moreover, higher concentrations also tended to disturb tube morphology and cytoplasmic streaming. Nif was observed to perturb GN division at various concentrations, either blocked it completely at 10-4 mol/L, or only delayed it at 10-7~10-5 mol/L. The dynamics of membrane-associated calcium in pollen tubes was tested with chlorotetracycline (CTC). With increasing time of culture and escalating Nif concentration, CTC fluorescence weakened gradually, indicating that the physiological effects of Nif is mediated by its in hibition on Ca2+ channel activities.     

Embryogenesis and Plantlet Formation through Direct Culture of Isolated Pollen of Nicotiana tabacum cv. Samsum and Nicotiana rustica cv. Rustica

Pollen embryos and plantlets of Nicotiana tabacum cv. Samsunand Nicotiana rustica cv. Rustica were obtained through directpollen culture without prior treatment or prior culture of anthersor buds. Isolated pollen was cultured first in a medium withoutsucrose, then transferred into Nitsch's H medium containing2% sucrose and 5 mM glutamine. The optimum medium for the initialculture was water and the optimum period of culture was ca.6 days when binucleate pollen was used. ¹ Present address: Friedrich Miescher Inst., P.O.B. 273, CH-4002Basel, Switzerland. (Received January 18, 1982; Accepted March 19, 1982)     

Sperm dimorphism in Nicotiana tabacum L.

Sperm cells of tobacco have been intensively studied as examples of isomorphic gametes in which major cellular and organellar parameters remain statistically indistinguishable in the two sperm cells. An examination of sperm cells late in maturation, however, displays that the sperm cell associated with the vegetative nucleus becomes statistically significantly smaller than the other sperm cell in tobacco. If late divergence occurs in the two sperms of other angiosperms, sperm dimorphism may be more prevalent than has previously been assumed and dimorphism may have a major influence on the pattern of double fertilization. Received: 15 December 2000 / Accepted: 4 May 2001     

The Growth Activity and Fertilizing Capacity of Submersely Cultivated Pollen Tubes of Nicotiana tabacum L.

Tobacco pollen was cultivated in shaken suspension culturesand the growth estimated by weighing the mass of germinatedpollen separated from the nutrient solution. A formula for calculatingmean pollen tube length from the weight of the culture has beenderived for this pollen species. The growth of pollen tubes in vitro is shown to have a rhythmiccharacter. The rapid growth comparable to the mean growth ratein styles is limited to short time intervals alternating withprogressively extending periods of very depressed growth, whichceased entirely after 10–12 h of cultivation. When tested by placental pollination in vitro, the fertilizingcapacity of the pollen culture was found to increase duringthe first hour of cultivation but to decrease steadily thereafter.On the other hand, with the application of pollen tubes fromculture on stigma, a short precultivation period and even themere wetting of pollen had a negative effect on the seed set.With pollen cultivated longer than 4 h, no seed formation wasobserved.