Molecular diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi colonising Hyacinthoides non-scripta (bluebell) in a seminatural woodland

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form symbiotic associations with plant roots. Around 150 species have been described and it is becoming clear that many of these species have different functional properties. The species diversity of AM fungi actively growing in roots is therefore an important component of ecosystem diversity. However, it is difficult to identify AM fungi below the genus level from morphology in planta , as they possess few informative characters. We present here a molecular method for identifying infrageneric sequence types that estimate the taxonomic diversity of AM fungi present in actively growing roots. Bluebell roots were sampled from beneath two different canopy types, oak and sycamore, and DNA sequences were amplified from roots by the polymerase chain reaction with fungal-specific primers for part of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene. Restriction fragment length polymorphism among 141 clones was assessed and 62 clones were sequenced. When aligned, discrete sequence groups emerged that cluster into the three families of AM fungi: Acaulosporaceae, Gigasporaceae and Glomaceae. The sequence variation is consistent with rRNA secondary structure. The same sequence types were found at both sampling times. Frequencies of Scutellospora increased in December, and Acaulospora increased in abundance in July. Sites with a sycamore canopy show a reduced abundance of Acaulospora , and those with oak showed a reduced abundance of Glomus . These distribution patterns are consistent with previous morphological studies carried out in this woodland. The molecular method provides an alternative method of estimating the distribution and abundance of AM fungi, and has the potential to provide greater resolution at the infrageneric level.     

Microsporogenesis in inbred line of popcorn (Zea mays L.)

Endogamy places genes for several characteristics in homozygosis, which include those related to meiosis causing abnormalities that may impair gamete viability. An original population (S0) of popcorn (CMS-43) produced by Embrapa Maize and Sorghum was self-pollinated for seven years, generating inbred lines (S1 to S7). Conventional studies of microsporogenesis revealed that meiotic abnormalities did not increase with endogamy. Univalent chromosomes, irregular chromosome segregation, abnormal cell shape, partial asynapsis, cell fusion, absence of cytokinesis, abnormal spindle orientation, and chromosome stickiness were recorded in low frequency in meiocytes. Since the frequency of abnormalities was low, mainly in S7, inbred lines from CMS-43 have a high potential for hybridization.     

黄顶菊小孢子发生与雄配子体发育的研究

利用常规石蜡切片技术,观察了黄顶菊小孢子发生及雄配子体发育过程.结果表明:(1)花药具4个花粉囊,花药肇发育为基本型,由4层细胞构成一表皮、药室内壁、中层和绒毡层,绒毡层属于变形型,其细胞为双核;(2)从孢原细胞出现到二细胞花粉粒形成,同一花药四个花粉囊的发育不同步;(3)孢原细胞为单孢原起源;小孢子母细胞减数分裂为连续型,形成的四分体为四而体型排列;(4)成熟花粉粒为二细胞型,三个萌发孔,花粉外壁具有明显的刺,偶尔观察到巨大花粉;(5)小孢子母细胞时期,花药壁中层毗邻绒毡层的一面产生外绒毡层膜,包被绒毡层和小孢子母细胞.     

Microsporogenesis and tapetal development in fertile and cytoplasmic male-sterile sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.)

Summary The development of sporogenous and tapetal cells in the anthers of male-fertile and cytoplasmic male-sterile sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) plants was studied using light and transmission electron microscopy. In general, male-sterile anthers showed a much greater variability in developmental pattern than male-fertile anthers. The earliest deviation from normal anther development was observed to occur in sterile anthers at meiotic early prophase: there was a degeneration or irregular proliferation of the tapetal cells. Other early aberrant events were the occurrence of numerous small vesicles in the microspore mother cells (MMC) and a disorganized chromatin condensation. Deviations that occurred in sterile anthers at later developmental stages included: (1) less distinct inner structures in the mitochondria of both MMC and tapetal cells from middle prophase onwards. (2) dilated ER and nuclear membranes at MMC prophase, in some cases associated with the formation of protein bodies. (3) breakdown of cell walls in MMCs and tapetal cells at late meiotic prophase. (4) no massive increase in tapetal ER at the tetrad stage. (5) a general dissolution of membranes, first in the MMC, then in the tapetum. (6) abortion of microspores and the occurrence of a plasmodial tapetum in anthers reaching the microspore stage. (7) no distinct degeneration of tapetal cells after microspore formation. Thus, it seems that the factors that lead to abortive microsporogenesis are structurally expressed at widely different times during anther development. Aberrant patterns are not restricted to the tetrad stage but occur at early prophase.     

Ultrastructural Modifications of Plastids and Starch Metabolism during the Microsporogenesis of Ophrys lutea (Orchidaceae)

Ultrastructure of plastids has been studied throughout microsporogenesisof Ophrys lutea Cav. (Orchidaceae). A typical dedifferentiation/redifferentiationcycle of plastids was observed. At prophase I, plastids of pre-meiocytesgradually lost starch and separated the meiocytes through cytomicticchannels. At meiosis, plastids dedifferentiated to protoplastsand redifferentiated in young microspores. During pollen grainformation and maturation a cycle of starch accumulation/degradationoccurred; the mature pollen grain is starchless. Results arediscussed in terms of genetic inheritance following haploidnuclear state and in terms of carbohydrate metabolism. Plastids, starch, microsporogenesis, ultrastructure, Ophrys lutea, Orchidaceae     

The Plastids of the Yew Tree (Taxus baccata L.): Ultrastructure and Immunocytochemical Examination of Chloroplastic Enzymes

The various types of plastids occurring in assimilatory and non-green tissues of Taxus baccata L. were investigated with respect to their ultrastructure and their content of starch, chlorophyll, Rubisco and the plastidic coupling factor CF₁. Chlorophyll was estimated from fluorescence intensity, and the presence of both enzymes was examined by electron microscopy after immunogold labelling. All kinds of plastids, irrespective of their location in the tree, contained stromal membranes. Due to their content of CF₁ and chlorophyll (except those of the roots) these membranes were addressed as thylakoids. Since the plastids also contain Rubisco, they represent chloroplasts. However, a decreasing gradient of all investigated chloroplastic characters from the plastids of the assimilatory tissue of the needles to those of axial tissues and of the roots was obvious. All kinds of plastids accumulated large amounts of starch especially in spring prior to bud burst but were virtually free of starch during the winter months.     

Cytological Basis of Plastid Inheritance in Phaseolus vulgaris-Investigations of Plastids,Mitochondria and Their DNA Nucleoids During Pollen Development

Electron microscopic and DNA fluorescence microscopic observations of the plastids, mitochondria and their DNA in the developing pollen of Phaseolus vulgaris L. have demonstrated that the male plastids were excluded during microspore mitosis. The formed generative cell was free of plastids because of regional localization of plastids in early developing microspore and the extremely unequal distribution during division. The fluorescence observations of DNA showed that cytoplasmic (plastid and mitochondria) nucleoids degenerated and disappeared during the development of microspore/pollen, and were never presented in the generative cell at different development stages. These results provided precise cytological evidence of maternal plastid inheritance in Phaseolus vulgaris, which was not in accord with the biparental plastid inheritance identified from early genetic analysis. Based on authors' previous observations in a variety of common bean that the organelle DNA of male gamete was completely degenerated, the early genetic finding of the biparental plastid inheritance was unlikely to be effected by genotypic difference. Thus those biparental plastid inheritance might be caused by occational male plastid transmission, and plastid uniparental maternal inheritance was the species character of Phaseolus vulgaris.     

T-URF 13 Protein from Mitochondria of Texas Male-Sterile Maize (Zea mays L.) : Its Purification and Submitochondrial Localization, and Immunogold Labeling in Anther Tapetum during Microsporogenesis

The protein T-URF13 (URF13) is specific to mitochondria of maize (Zea mays L.) with Texas (T) male-sterile cytoplasm and has been implicated in causing male sterility and susceptibility to T-cytoplasm-specific fungal diseases. T-URF13 was purified from isolated mitochondria from maize (line B73) with T cytoplasm by gel filtration and a quasi two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis system. Antibodies to the purified and denatured protein were produced in rabbits. Anti-T-URF13 antiserum was used to show that T-URF13 is in the inner membrane of mitochondria and behaves as an integral membrane protein when mitochondria are fractionated with sodium carbonate or Triton X-114. The antiserum and protein A tagged with 20-nanometer-gold particles were used to localize T-URF13 in T mitochondria by electron microscopy of sections of isolated mitochondria from etiolated shoots and sections of roots and of tapetal cells at pre-and post-degeneration stages of microsporogenesis. The microscopic study confirms that T-URF13 is specifically localized in the mitochondrial membranes of all of the T mitochondria tested, notably those in the tapetum from the meiocyte stage to the late-microspore stage. No change in the amount of labeled T-URF13 protein in the mitochondria of aging tapetal cells was detected.     

Mitochondria : II. The Nuclear-Mitochondrial Relationship in Pelomyxa carolinensis Wilson (Chaos chaos L.)

This study has demonstrated that in the ameba, Pelomyxa carolinensis Wilson (Chaos chaos L.) the limiting membranes of mitochondria and postdivision nuclei are often continuous. The morphological relationship may be functional in that it permits an exchange of material resulting directly or indirectly in an increased enzyme content of the mitochondria. It is suggested that through a series of progressive foldings of its envelope, the nucleus may be a site of formation of mitochondria.     

Protein Synthesis in Isolated Mitochondria of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Seedlings

For studies of in organello mitochondrial protein synthesis in rice, Oryza sativa L., conventional surface-sterilization procedures were demonstrated to be ineffective. Because of the over-whelmingly efficient [³⁵S]methionine utilization by contaminating bacteria, even “essentially bacteria-free” rice mitochondria were shown to be unsuitable for the study of in organello protein synthesis. We developed a procedure to obtain a bacteria-free preparation of rice mitochondria. Such mitochondria favored a membrane-dependent ATP-generating system over an external ATP-generating system as the energy supplement for in organello protein synthesis. Two distinct classes of [³⁵S]methionine-labeled, cycloheximide-insensitive products were detected: an electrophoretically unresolved population and a set of some 22 to 27 discrete polypeptide species, each with a characteristic electrophoretic mobility and relative abundance.