CHELATED IRON AND GAMETOGENESIS IN MACROCYSTIS

Stekoll, M. S. Juneau Center for Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska, Juneau, AK 99801 USA Gametophytes of Macrocystis can be vegetatively propagated indefinitely in the laboratory in media that lacked chelated iron. When clones of vegetatively propagated female gametophytes of Macrocystis pyrifera (L.) C. Ag. were exposed to varying levels of chelated iron in both enriched natural and artificial seawater, low levels of chelated iron (1-5 micromoles/liter) stimulated the onset of gametogenesis as measured by egg production. In contrast higher iron concentrations strongly inhibited egg production. Gametophyte growth as measured by the increase in cell number was not affected by iron concentration in the medium. At all iron concentrations there was a tendency for the larger gametophytic fragments to become fertile earlier. The results suggest that iron may play a critical role in the development of Macrocystis gametophytes.     

韭菜胚囊发育与胚胎发生

韭菜胚囊发育为葱型,胚胎发生属柳叶菜型。成熟胚囊中,三个反足细胞形态上常类似卵器,其中二个呈助细胞状,一个呈卵细胞状。卵状反足细胞可分裂成多细胞原胚,但随着胚乳的发育而退化。在未受精胚囊中,卵细胞和卵状反足细胞均可分裂,它们的发生过程与合子胚相似,但因无胚乳哺育,均不能继续发育。论证了反足细胞胚的性质,初步探讨了胚乳与反足细胞无配子生殖的关系。     

云南松雄配子在人工培养和自然条件下的发生

云南松(Pinus yunnanensis Fr.)花粉于三月在四细胞时期散粉。花粉在珠心顶端萌发,然后花粉管进入珠心组织,管核进入花粉管。第二年三月,休眠的花粉管在珠心内恢复活动,四月形成二个不等的雄配子。在雄配子周围有一些淀粉粒分布。花粉孵育在含蔗糖的培养基中生长要比在BKBM-WS培养基中缓慢。花粉粒及花粉管中含有大量直径4—8微米的淀粉粒,在不含蔗糖的培养基中,淀粉粒积累较少,直径约2—5微米。培养在2—5℃低温下的花粉可以缓慢地萌发,但不能形成雄配子。花粉管的伸出以及外壁的裂开总是发生在远极端薄壁区,花粉管可产生2—5条分枝或向两侧平行地生长,在萌发的早期,花粉粒以及花粉管中的细胞质十分稠密,蛋白质含量丰富。管核的蛋白质染色反应最深,生殖核次之。当生殖细胞分裂形成不育细胞及精原细胞后,管核染色反应稍有下降,花粉管中细胞质集中在顶端区域。当精原细胞分裂形成二精子时,花粉管中细胞质仅分布在二个精细胞及不育细胞和管核四周,其余部分已很少或缺乏。     

GENETIC DIVERSITY AND POPULATION STRUCTURE IN TRADESCANTIA HIRSUTICAULIS (COMMELINACEAE)

Tradescantia hirsuticaulis, the hairy-stemmed spiderwort, is an insect-pollinated perennial plant species found primarily on rock outcrops in Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama. Although populations of T. hirsuticaulis are rare and scattered, local populations are frequently large. Levels of genetic variation were assessed for 13 populations representing the species' range in these three states. Despite the disjunct distribution of this habitat specialist and apparent lack of specialized seed and pollen dispersal mechanisms, exceptionally high levels of genetic variation are maintained within the species, with a moderate level of variation (18%) found among populations. Twenty-nine of the 33 loci resolved (88%) were polymorphic within the species; the mean number of loci polymorphic within populations was 54%. The mean number of alleles per polymorphic locus was 3.24 across all populations and averaged 2.37 within populations. Genetic diversity was 0.206 for the species, whereas mean population genetic diversity was 0.157, both much higher than the average for other short-lived herbaceous perennials. Estimated levels of gene flow were moderate (Nm = 0.95), and a significant association between geographic distance and genetic distance between populations was found (r = 0.68; P < 0.0001). Habitat destruction is the major threat to this genetically diverse species. Since gene flow among its highly dispersed populations is limited, diminution or extinction of local populations could jeopardize the long-term evolutionary potential of this species.     

RADIOAUTOGRAPHIC LOCALIZATION OF DEOXYTHYMIDINE TRIPHOSPHATE IN TRADESCANTIA POLLEN GRAINS DURING DNA SYNTHESIS

Tradescantia pollen grains, isolated during the period of DNA synthesis in the generative cell, accumulate deoxythymidine triphosphate (dTTP)-³H after incubation with thymidine-³H in the presence of millimolar deoxyadenosine. Most of this dTTP-³H was found to resist extraction by the fixative, cold ethanol-acetic acid, and its location was investigated by radioautography with thin, dry emulsion. Substantial binding of dTTP-³H occurred as an artifact; but when nuclei were isolated from the fixed pollen grains by sonication, it was found that they were differentially labeled: generative nuclei contained dTTP-³H, vegetative nuclei did not. This observation is discussed and is interpreted as evidence supporting the idea that thymidine is phosphorylated only in the generative cell of the pollen grain.     

韭菜未传粉子房培养中单倍体的胚胎发生和植株再生

在自然生长条件下,韭菜反足细胞可与合子同时分裂形成多细胞原胚,但很快退化,种子成熟时仅含有合子胚。在未传粉子房培养条件下,反足细胞和卵细胞可经相似的早期胚胎发生过程再生单倍体植株。高频率的胚胎发生为韭菜单倍体育种提供了一条新途径。文中讨论了反足细胞无配子生殖的有关问题。     

PHYLOGENETIC COMPARISON OF LARGE NUCLEAR DNA CONTENTS OF DIFFERENTIATED CELLS IN THE ROOTS OF EQUISETUM,TRADESCANTIA, AND HORDEUM

Nuclear DNA of meristematic, epidermal and root cap cells from the roots of three vascular plants—the cryptogam, Equisetum hyemale L, and the phanerogams, Tradescantia Clone 02 and Hordeum vulgare L.—was measured with quantitative Feulgen microspectrophotometry. Epidermal cells of all three species and root cap cells in both phanerogams contained up to 8fold the amount of nuclear DNA found in their respective meristematic telophase nuclei. In general, the large amounts of nuclear DNA parallel development and differentiation in the epidermis regardless of phylogeny, habitat, or degree of domestication. However, comparisons of the increase in nuclear DNA contents in the various epidermal cell types among these three species suggest that the mechanisms giving rise to these increases may differ phylogenetically and may represent another character in which cryptogams and phanerogams diverged in their evolution.