大麦胚和胚乳发育的相关性及贮藏营养物质的积累

大麦(Hordeum vulgare L.)开花后1d,见合子及退化助细胞,游离核胚乳尚未形成;开花后2～3d,胚为5及10个细胞,胚乳为游离核期;开花后4及5、6d,胚为梨形及长梨形,胚乳达细胞化期;开花后8d,胚为胚芽鞘期,糊粉层原始细胞产生;开花后10d,胚具1叶,糊粉层1～2层;开花后13d胚为2叶胚,亚糊粉层发生;开花后17d,3叶胚形成,糊粉层多为3层并停止分裂,菱柱形及不规则胚乳细胞分化;开花后21～29d,胚为4叶胚,胚乳进一步分化;开花后33d,胚为5叶成熟胚,胚乳亦成熟。淀粉、蛋白质在胚中积累始于开花后13d。在盾片中由基向顶发生,在胚芽鞘及叶原基中,首先在顶端出现。成熟盾片顶端的淀粉消失。开花后6d,胚乳开始积累淀粉;开花后10d,糊粉层及胚乳细胞积累蛋白质。开花17d后胚乳的蛋白质体多聚集,29d后蛋白质体显著减少。开花后17d,在盾片及糊粉层细胞中检测到油脂。果长或果长与稃片长之比和盾片长可作为不同发育期胚和胚乳的形态指标。     

何首乌胚和胚乳的发育

何首乌为直生胚珠,双珠被。胚发育属于柳叶菜型。心形胚柄最为发达,鱼雷形胚期胚柄奶化。早期胚胎发育营养的主要来源可能是合了中积累的淀粉和胚柄吸收来的营养。成熟胚中积累了大量的蛋白质和淀粉粒。胚乳发育属核型。从球形胚期起,胚乳细胞化过程由珠孔端向合点端逐渐推进。初始垂周壁源于姊妹核间的细胞反或非姊妹核间由次生成膜生的细胞板。初始平周壁源于有丝分裂所产生的细胞板。心形胚期,除合点端保持游离核胚乳吸器外,     

水稻胚乳发育中淀粉体和蛋白体ATPase活性的动态变化

利用ATPase定位技术,对水稻品种(OryzasativaL.cv.Minghui63)胚乳细胞发育中后期淀粉体和蛋白体的ATPase活性进行了超微细胞化学定位。结果表明,在淀粉体内外膜上、淀粉粒间的通道上和淀粉体四周的无定形物上呈现显著的ATPase活性。蛋白体Ⅰ和蛋白体Ⅱ的膜上和四周的囊泡、小泡上均出现ATPase活性产物。另外,胚乳细胞的胞壁和质膜,糊粉层和亚糊粉层细胞的胞壁、质膜、细胞核和胞间连丝上也有定位的ATPase活性产物分布。根据ATPase活性产物分布特点,推测淀粉体内的网状通道是便于养分进入淀粉体内部的转运通道。淀粉体膜和蛋白体膜上的ATPase主要是为养分进入内部提供跨膜动力。     

赤霉素对蛋白质合成的调节控制作用

种子萌发时胚的生长需要营养物质。禾谷类的种子在胚乳中贮藏着丰富的养分。这些贮藏物质的动用主要受植物激素赤霉素(GA)的控制。GA是在胚中合成,经过盾片输送到胚乳周围的糊粉层细胞-GA发生作用的靶细胞。糊粉层组织由均一的、不分裂的、富含蛋白质的二到三层细胞组成,这些细胞对GA反应时合成多种水解酶如a-淀粉酶和蛋白酶。这些酶被分泌释放到胚乳中去,水解大分子贮藏物质淀粉和蛋白质等形     

植物细胞中蓝光诱导ROS生成的识别和亚细胞定位检测

以2’,7’-二氯二氢荧光素二乙酯(dichlorofluorescein diacetate,H2DCF-DA)为荧光探针孵育拟南芥叶表皮条,利用荧光光谱和激光共聚焦扫描显微技术,对高辐照蓝光诱导下叶肉细胞活性氧(reactive oxygen spe-cies,ROS)的生成,进行了分子识别和亚细胞定位检测。结果表明:植物细胞在蓝光诱导下,可以产生大量的ROS。过氧化氢酶清除实验表明:高辐照蓝光诱导产生的ROS,主要成分是H2O2,并且主要定位在叶绿体和细胞膜上。     

水稻胚乳发育中淀粉体和蛋白体ATPase活性的动态变化

利用ATPase定位技术,对水稻品种(Oryza sativa L.cv．Minghui 63)胚乳细胞发育中后期淀粉体和蛋白体的ATPase活性进行了超微细胞化学定位。结果表明,在淀粉体内外膜上、淀粉粒间的通道上和淀粉体四周的无定形物上呈现显著的ATPase活性。蛋白体Ⅰ和蛋白体Ⅱ的膜上和四周的囊泡、小泡上均出现ATPase活性产物。另外,胚乳细胞的胞壁和质膜,糊粉层和亚糊粉层细胞的胞壁、质膜、细胞核和胞间连丝上也有定位的ATPase活性产物分布。根据ATPase活性产物分布特点,推测淀粉体内的网状通道是便于养分进入淀粉体内部的转运通道。淀粉体膜和蛋白体膜上的ATPase主要是为养分进入内部提供跨膜动力。     

薏苡胚乳发育及营养物质积累的研究

薏苡 ( Coix lacryma- jobi)授粉后 2 d,游离核胚乳已转变为细胞胚乳。授粉后 3d,中央细胞被胚乳细胞充满。起初 ,全部胚乳细胞均进行分裂 ,一定时期后 ,细胞分裂主要发生在胚乳周边区。授粉后 1 0 d,表皮停止平周分裂变为糊粉层 ,内方的数层形成层状细胞行平周分裂直到颖果接近成熟。胚乳内部生长则依赖于细胞体积扩大。胚乳基部 (颖果基部的胚乳 )形成了数层传递细胞。授粉后 9d,淀粉积累。授粉后 1 0 d,糊粉层及其内方数层细胞产生了脂体 ,后者的脂体以后又消失。授粉后 1 3、1 5 d,糊粉层细胞的液泡积累蛋白质。授粉后 2 0 d,液泡变为糊粉粒。授粉后 1 5 d淀粉胚乳细胞产生蛋白质体 ,营养物质积累持续到颖果成熟。还观察了胚和胚乳发育的对应关系。     

发育中玉米胚结合蛋白(BiP)的动态变化及定位

Western blot检测表明,在玉米胚发育过程中结合蛋白(BiP)含量与胚可溶性蛋白含量变化一致,在授粉16d后BiP含量随发育而增加;对热激不敏感.组织化学免疫定位表明,在玉米胚发育的不同时期,BiP主要定位在胚芽端、初生维管组织和糊粉层中,提示胚在构建器官的同时,也为其功能执行准备了条件;热激不影响其定位.     

赤霉素诱导大麦糊粉层细胞内α-淀粉酶的形成

萌发大麦种子的胚乳内,贮藏淀粉发生水解作用,其启动的早期是合成水解酶类,如α—淀粉酶。α—淀粉酶在干燥的种子内是不存在的,属于诱导酶。Paleg和yomo分别于1960年发现GA_3能增加大麦胚乳内α—淀粉酶的活性。以后的实验陆续揭示,启动α—淀粉酶合成的化学信使是赤霉素。萌发的大麦种子的胚产生赤霉素,然后赤霉素扩散到胚乳的糊粉层中,刺激糊粉层细胞内     

微胚乳玉米籽粒糊粉层细胞显微结构研究

研究了10类含油率不同玉米的糊粉层厚度、结构以及糊粉层厚度与籽粒含油量、去胚籽粒(即籽粒除胚以外的其它部分)含油量、籽粒重、去胚籽粒重、籽粒蛋白质含量、胚重及胚含油量的相关性。结果显示:(1)3类微胚乳玉米糊粉层厚度最大且显著高于第7类普通高油玉米和第10类普通硬粒玉米;(2)糊粉层厚度与籽粒含油率、去胚籽粒含油率均呈极显著正相关,与籽粒重和去胚籽粒重则呈极显著负相关;(3)有些微胚乳玉米的胚乳存在不同程度的解体。因此认为糊粉层厚度和籽粒重可以作为标记性状筛选超高油玉米;在有的微胚乳玉米中,高含油量可能依赖于淀粉降解。     

Changes in cell wall polysaccharides of germinating barley grains

Decorticated barley grains were germinated at 25° for 6 days, until the endosperm reserves were nearly exhausted. The neutral monosaccharide components of the hydrolysates of the cell walls and gums from the embryo, aleurone layer and starchy endosperm and the endospermic starch were determined at daily intervals. The amount of embryo cell wall polysaccharide increased 40 times and glucose became the major component, followed in abundance by xylose and arabinose. The cell wall and gum polysaccharides of the aleurone layer (plus testa) and the starchy endosperm declined during germination and their compositions altered. The endospermic starch also decreased. In the early stages of germination the apparent composition of the cell walls of the aleurone layer and starchy endosperm depended upon how they had been prepared. After 6 days the cell walls and gums had provided a significant carbohydrate supply to the living tissues, equivalent to 18.5% of the endospermic polysaccharide degraded during growth, starch having provided the remaining 81.5%.     

The Arabidopsis aleurone layer responds to nitric oxide, gibberellin, and abscisic acid and is sufficient and necessary for seed dormancy

Seed dormancy is a common phase of the plant life cycle, and several parts of the seed can contribute to dormancy. Whole seeds, seeds lacking the testa, embryos, and isolated aleurone layers of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) were used in experiments designed to identify components of the Arabidopsis seed that contribute to seed dormancy and to learn more about how dormancy and germination are regulated in this species. The aleurone layer was found to be the primary determinant of seed dormancy. Embryos from dormant seeds, however, had a lesser growth potential than those from nondormant seeds. Arabidopsis aleurone cells were examined by light and electron microscopy, and cell ultrastructure was similar to that of cereal aleurone cells. Arabidopsis aleurone cells responded to nitric oxide (NO), gibberellin (GA), and abscisic acid, with NO being upstream of GA in a signaling pathway that leads to vacuolation of protein storage vacuoles and abscisic acid inhibiting vacuolation. Molecular changes that occurred in embryos and aleurone layers prior to germination were measured, and these data show that both the aleurone layer and the embryo expressed the NO-associated gene AtNOS1, but only the embryo expressed genes for the GA biosynthetic enzyme GA3 oxidase.     

The fine structure of aleurone cells in the soybean seed coat

Summary The morphology and fine structure of aleurone cells of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seed coats were analyzed with transmission electron microscopy for the period of rapid seed fill up to physiological maturity. Thin sections and freeze-fracture replicas were prepared for each stage. The aleurone is a tissue lining the embryo sac and consists of a single layer of cells attached to the aerenchyma of the seed coat proper. During seed fill, aleurone cells contained numerous Golgi-derived vesicles in the basal region of the cytoplasm that were either free or attached to the plasma membrane along the lateral and basal regions of the cell wall. Correspondingly, the Golgi apparatus were well developed with individual dictyosomes having 5 to 8, highly fenestrated stacked cisternae. The degree of fenestration along the periphery of each cisterna increased from the cis to trans region. Rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) was also abundant, often consisting of up to 30, stacked swollen cisternae which occupied large regions of cytoplasm. Plasmodesmata which connected adjacent aleurone cells was not observed along the dorsal walls of aleurone cells that faced aerenchyma. At physiological maturity, dictyosome cisternae were less fenestrated and had fewer associated secretory vesicles. Stacked lamellae of RER were absent, being replaced by short tubular cisternae and small vesicles. At physiological maturity, the aleurone cells had thick walls, and contained numerous lipid bodies in apposition to the plasma membrane. The cytoplasm appeared densely stained in thin-sections and contained protein bodies and amyloplasts with large starch grains. We conclude that during the period of rapid seed fill aleurone cells produce, package, transport and secrete vesicular contents toward the embryo, that is followed at physiological maturity by the storage of lipid, protein and starch in the same cells. The embryo is the most likely destination for secretory products during the period of rapid seed fill. The fate of the stored food reserves in aleurone cells at physiological maturity may be analogous to that of aleurone tissue of grasses, being utilized during imbibition for processes important to germination.     

Sugars as repressors of gibberellin-induced synthesis of α-amylase in wheat

In germinating cereal caryopses, α-amylase is synthesized in the aleurone layer and scutellum epithelium. Produced enzyme is released into the endosperm, where starch is hydrolyzed. We investigated the effect of sugars on gibberellic acid (GA)-induced synthesis of this enzyme in both tissues of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seeds. α-Amylase synthesis in the embryo was much more sensitive to sugars, and their inhibitory effect was observed at the lower concentrations (10–20 mM), whereas in the aleurone layer the enzyme was only inhibited at a relatively high (above 100 mM) concentration of sugars in the medium. These results point to a specific (repressive) influence of sugars on embryonic α-amylase and probably to its nonspecific (osmotic) effect on the cells of the aleurone layer. It was found that phosphorylated sugars were more effective repressors of α-amylase than nonphosphorylated sugars.     

Differentiation of a Functional Aleurone Layer Within the Seed Coat of Sinapis alba L.

The hitherto unresolved ontogenetic origin of the aleurone layerin mustard (Sinapis alba L.) seeds was investigated with lightand electron microscopy. Contrary to previous views, this layerof storage cells is neither derived from the endosperm nor fromthe nucellus, but from a particular cell layer within the innerintegument of the seed coat. These cells differentiate and becomefilled with storage protein and fat concurrently with the maturationof the embryo. They survive seed desiccation and become depletedof storage materials during seed germination. Temporally correlatedwith the germinating embryo, the aleurone cells produce microbodyenzymes, which are controlled by light in a similar fashionin both tissues. Sinapis alba L., mustard, aleurone layer, seed coat, seed formation, germination     

Differential expression of wheat aspartic proteinases, WAP1 and WAP2, in germinating and maturing seeds

Two aspartic proteinase (AP) cDNA clones, WAP1 and WAP2, were obtained from wheat seeds. Proteins encoded by these clones shared 61% amino acid sequence identity. RNA blotting analysis showed that WAP1 and WAP2 were expressed in both germinating and maturing seeds. The level of WAP2 mRNA expression was clearly weaker than that of WAP1 in all tissues of seeds during germination and maturation. APs purified from germinating seeds were enzymatically active and digested the wheat storage protein, gluten. To elucidate the physiological functions of WAP1 and WAP2 in seeds, we investigated the localisation of WAP1 and WAP2 by in situ hybridisation. In germinating seeds investigated 24h after imbibition, both WAP1 and WAP2 were expressed in embryos, especially in radicles and shoots, scutellum, and the aleurone layer. In maturing seeds, WAP1 was expressed in the whole embryo, with slightly stronger expression in radicles and shoots. WAP1 was also expressed in the aleurone layer 3 weeks after flowering. Strong signals of WAP1 mRNA were detected in the whole embryo and aleurone layer 6 weeks after flowering. On the other hand, WAP2 was scarcely detected in seeds 3 weeks after flowering, and thereafter weak signals began to appear in the whole embryo. WAP1 and WAP2 were expressed widely in germinating and maturing seeds. Such diversity in site- and stage-specific expression of the two enzymes suggests their differential functions in wheat seeds.     

Studies on Mature Seeds of Cuscuta pedicellata and C. campestris by Electron Microscopy

The seeds of Cuscuta pedicellata have been investigated by transmissionand scanning electron microscopy. Additional observations havebeen made on seeds of C. campestris by SEM only. The seed coatconsists of an outer single epidermis, two different palisadelayers, and an inner multiparenchyma layer. The outer epidermalwall in C. pedicellata has a thick cuticle and zones rich inpectic substances. The thicker ‘U-shaped’ cell wallsin the outer palisade layer are strengthened by a wall layerof hemicellulose. The inner palisade layer has thick walledcells with a ‘light line’. The inner cell wall ofthe compressed multiparenchyma layer has a thin cuticle. A fairlythick cuticle is positioned directly on the endosperm surface.The aleurone cell walls are different from the remaining endospermwalls. The latter are thick and believed to be of galactomannans.There is a ‘clear’ zone between the plasmalemmaand the cell wall in the aleurone cells. The embryo cells arepacked with lipids and proteins. In Cuscuta campestris mostendosperm has been absorbed during the seed development. Theembryo apex has two minute leaf primordia. The features of theCuscuta seeds are discussed in relation to functional and environmentalconditions. Cuscuta pedicellata, Cuscuta campestris, seed, seed coat, cuticle, cell walls, endosperm, aleurone cells, galactomannan, embryo, TEM, SEM     

Cytochemical Localization of Reserves during Seed Development in Arabidopsis thaliana under Spaceflight Conditions

Successful development of seeds under spaceflight conditionshas been an elusive goal of numerous long-duration experimentswith plants on orbital spacecraft. Because carbohydrate metabolismundergoes changes when plants are grown in microgravity, developingseed storage reserves might be detrimentally affected duringspaceflight. Seed development in Arabidopsis thaliana plantsthat flowered during 11 d in space on shuttle mission STS-68has been investigated in this study. Plants were grown to therosette stage (13 d) on a nutrient agar medium on the groundand loaded into the Plant Growth Unit flight hardware 18 h priorto lift-off. Plants were retrieved 3 h after landing and siliqueswere immediately removed from plants. Young seeds were fixedand processed for microscopic observation. Seeds in both theground control and flight plants are similar in their morphologyand size. The oldest seeds from these plants contain completelydeveloped embryos and seed coats. These embryos developed radicle,hypocotyl, meristematic apical tissue, and differentiated cotyledons.Protoderm, procambium, and primary ground tissue had differentiated.Reserves such as starch and protein were deposited in the embryosduring tissue differentiation. The aleurone layer contains alarge quantity of storage protein and starch grains. A seedcoat developed from integuments of the ovule with gradual changein cell composition and cell material deposition. Carbohydrateswere deposited in outer integument cells especially in the outsidecell walls. Starch grains decreased in number per cell in theintegument during seed coat development. All these characteristicsduring seed development represent normal features in the groundcontrol plants and show that the spaceflight environment doesnot prevent normal development of seeds in Arabidopsis. Arabidopsis ; spaceflight; embryo; endosperm; seed coat; storage reserves