Protection of pollen germination from adverse temperatures: a possible role for proline

Abstract After germination, pollen grains of Lilium longiflorum became very sensitive to short periods of heat stress as shown by the greatly reduced germination percentages upon subsequent incubation at the optimal temperature. Addition of proline to the incubation medium made pollen more resistant to heat. It was demonstrated that in a short time a large amount of proline was taken up by the cell. Germination and metabolic functions were completely or partially protected from heat damage by proline treatment. As well, it was shown that proline treatment at least partially protected pollen grains from cold stress. These results suggest that the high proline concentrations found in pollen of many species may confer resistance to germinating pollen grains at unfavourable temperatures thereby enhancing the chances of successful fertilization.     

Possible correlation between high temperature-induced floret sterility and endogenous levels of IAA,GAs and ABA in rice (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa</Emphasis> L.)

In order to explore the possible physiological mechanism of high temperature induced sterility in rice, we examined the floret sterility and endogenous plant growth regulator contents in pollens of two hybrid rice cultivars Shanyou63 and Teyou559 that are tolerant and susceptible to high temperature, respectively. Indexes of floret sterility, pollen activity, and variation of endogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acids (GAs), abscisic acid (ABA), free proline and soluble proteins in anthers were measured. We found that during the course of high temperature treatment, both cultivars exhibited a marked decrease in pollen activity, pollen germination and floret fertility; however, the high temperature tolerant Shanyou63 showed a much slower rate of decrease than the high temperature susceptible Teyou559. In addition, anthers of both cultivars displayed a decrease in the contents of IAA, GAs, free proline and soluble proteins but an increase in the ABA content. Yet compared to Teyou559, Shanyou63 retained significantly higher levels of free praline and GAs and a lower level of ABA, along with higher pollen vigour and pollen germination rate even after prolonged high temperature treatment. Our study suggests a possible correlation between pollen viability/floret sterility and high temperature-caused changes in IAA, GAs, ABA, free proline and soluble protein contents. The severity in these changes may reflect the variation of rice cultivars in their heat stress sensitivities for floret development.     

High temperature-induced thermotolerance in pollen tubes of tradescantia and heat-shock proteins

Growing pollen tubes of Tradescantia paludosa are protected from inhibition of growth at 41°C by a prior exposure to gradually increasing temperatures. Heat shock proteins (hsps) are not synthesized by pollen tubes as determined by labeling with [³⁵S]methionine and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, during either a heat shock at 41°C or a gradual temperature increase to 41°C. A comparison after two-dimensional electrophoresis of silver-stained spots and radioactive spots after autoradiography of an extract of ungerminated pollen mixed with a trace amount of [³⁵S]methionine-labeled vegetative tissue heat shocked at 41°C to act as a hsps marker, indicates that the majority, if not all, of the major hsps are not present in the pollen grain at anthesis. The type of thermotolerance seen with pollen tubes can thus be achieved without the presence or the new synthesis of the hsps.     

高温下线粒体小分子热激蛋白对柠檬酸合成酶、线粒体和花粉粒的保护作用

选用pGEX-6P-1表达载体,构建GST与线粒体小分子热激蛋白的融合蛋白表达载体,使用谷胱苷肽Sepharose-4B亲合柱,纯化大肠杆菌中表达的融合蛋白,利用ProScission蛋白酶,将线粒体小分子热激蛋白从融合蛋白中切出,获得纯化的线粒体小分子热激蛋白.分析线粒体小分子热激蛋白对柠檬酸合成酶体外热稳定性的影响,发现线粒体小分子热激蛋白可以减缓柠檬酸合成酶的热变性,并促进热变性的柠檬酸合成酶复性,说明高温下线粒体小分子热激蛋白对柠檬酸合成酶有保护功效.利用转基因方法,将线粒体小分子热激蛋白基因导入烟草,在CaMV35S启动子的驱动下,导入烟草的线粒体小分子热激蛋白基因可在烟草细胞中组成性地表达,比较正常烟草线粒体和转基因烟草线粒体的氧化磷酸化效率,发现高温下转基因烟草线粒体的氧化磷酸化效率高于对照,说明线粒体小分子热激蛋白对线粒体具有保护作用.此外,转基因烟草花粉粒的高温萌发率也高于对照,说明线粒体小分子热激蛋白不但可以增加线粒体的耐热性,而且可以提高细胞的抗热能力.     

高粱雄性不育系热激前后线粒体的变化与育性的关系

高粱雄性不育系3197A（3A）在花粉母细胞期进行热激处理后由不育变为可育。提取其处理小穗线粒体用流式细胞仪计数进行分析。结果发现经热激处理后,3A不育系的线粒体数目由1.55×106个／mg鲜穗增加至7.1×106／mg。同时对热激处理后3A的花粉育性及同工酶进行了研究,发现热激后3A的花粉粒变的饱满并可被I2朘I 溶液染色,其细胞色素氧化酶和过氧化物酶的电泳酶谱中出现与保持系3B一致的酶带。     

Influence of Temperature Stress on in Vitro Fertilization and Heat Shock Protein Synthesis in Maize (Zea mays L.) Reproductive Tissues

This study was conducted to investigate the response of maize (Zea mays) male and female mature reproductive tissues to temperature stress. We have tested the fertilization abilities of the stressed spikelets and pollen using in vitro pollination-fertilization to determine their respective tolerance to stress. The synthesis of heat shock proteins (HSPs) was also analyzed in male and female tissues using electrophoresis of ³⁵S-labeled proteins and fluorography, to establish a relationship between the physiological and molecular responses. Pollen, spikelets, and pollinated spikelets were exposed to selected temperatures (4, 28, 32, 36, or 40°C) and tested using an in vitro fertilization system. The fertilization rate is highly reduced when pollinated spikelets are exposed to temperatures over 36°C. When pollen and spikelets are exposed separately to temperature stress, the female tissues appear resistant to 4 hours of cold stress (4°C) or heat stress (40°C). Under heat shock conditions, the synthesis of a typical set of HSPs is induced in the female tissues. In contrast, the mature pollen is sensitive to heat stress and is responsible for the failure of fertilization at high temperatures. At the molecular level, no heat shock response is detected in the mature pollen.     

热休克对于高粱细胞质雄性不育系线粒体数目及其育性的影响(英文)

对高梁雄性不育系 ３ １９７Ａ（３Ａ）及其保持系 ３ １９７Ｂ（３Ｂ）均分别进行热激处理,以常温处理为对照,以处于花粉母细胞期的小穗为材料提取其线粒体,首次采用流式细胞仪测量线粒体的数量。首次观察到：经热激处理后,不育系 ３Ａ线粒体的数目增加约 ３．５倍;相反,保持系３Ｂ在常温时,线粒体数量为３Ａ的３．５５倍,热激后却无明显变化（Ｆｉｇ．１）。同时取热激处理及常温下３Ａ及３Ｂ的花药淀粉粒作碘化钾染色,结果表明：热激后３Ａ花药中出现饱满淀粉粒（Ｆｉｇ．２）;对其细胞色素氧化酶和过氧物酶同功酶的研究表明,热激后３Ａ电泳酶谱中有新条带出现,而且与３Ｂ的带型一致（Ｆｉｇ．３）。     

缙云山四川大头茶花粉游离脯氨酸含量与生殖产量特征研究

四川大头茶（Gordonia acuminata）是缙云山亚热带常绿阔叶林的优势树种之一,在缙云山的很多群落类型中均有分布。对缙云山四川大头茶的花粉游离脯氨酸含量的影响因素以及花粉游离脯氨酸含量与四川大头茶生殖产量之间的关系进行了研究。研究表明,缙云山四川大头茶的花粉游离脯氨酸含量不受植株年龄大小的影响,但与植株所处的群落类型有很大关系。常绿阔叶中四川大头茶的花粉游离脯氨酸含量最高,四川大头茶纯林中次之,针阔混交林中四川大头茶花粉游离脯氨酸含量最低。四川大头茶花蕾产量和果实产量随植株年龄的增大而增大,但座果率与植株年龄大小无关。对花粉游离脯氨酸含量与花蕾产量、果实产量和座果率之间的相关关系分析,花粉游离脯氨酸含量与花蕾产量不具有相关关系,与果实产量具有正相关关系,与座果率具有极显著正相关关系。这证实了与受精作用无关的生殖产量特征不受花粉游离脯氨酸含量影响,而与受精作用有关的生殖产量特征将受花粉游脯氨酸含量影响的研究假设。由于与花粉游离脯氨酸含量呈极显著正相关关系,座果率具有和花粉游离脯氨酸含量一样的群落间变化模式。     

Heat Shock Stress Causes Stage-specific Male Sterility in Arabidopsis thaliana

Arabidopsis during flower development, floral organs such as sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels developed normally. However, the development of pollen inside the anther was disrupted in a stage-specific manner, with floral stage 9 primordia failing to produce any pollen grains. Morphological analyses suggested that heat shock causes a failure of separation of pollen mother cells followed by microspore differentiation and/or inhibition of male meiotic processes. Heat shock also caused sterility in floral stage 12 flowers but the sterility was due to the failure of pollen release from the pollen sacs. Received 12 December 2000/ Accepted in revised form 4 April 2001     

LeProT1, a transporter for proline, glycine betaine, and gamma-amino butyric acid in tomato pollen

During maturation, pollen undergoes a period of dehydration accompanied by the accumulation of compatible solutes. Solute import across the pollen plasma membrane, which occurs via proteinaceous transporters, is required to support pollen development and also for subsequent germination and pollen tube growth. Analysis of the free amino acid composition of various tissues in tomato revealed that the proline content in flowers was 60 times higher than in any other organ analyzed. Within the floral organs, proline was confined predominantly to pollen, where it represented >70% of total free amino acids. Uptake experiments demonstrated that mature as well as germinated pollen rapidly take up proline. To identify proline transporters in tomato pollen, we isolated genes homologous to Arabidopsis proline transporters. LeProT1 was specifically expressed both in mature and germinating pollen, as demonstrated by RNA in situ hybridization. Expression in a yeast mutant demonstrated that LeProT1 transports proline and gamma-amino butyric acid with low affinity and glycine betaine with high affinity. Direct uptake and competition studies demonstrate that LeProT1 constitutes a general transporter for compatible solutes.     

Expression of heat shock protein70 in pig oocytes: heat shock response during oocyte growth

The heat shock response of growing and fully-grown pig oocytes was analyzed in vitro by determining heat shock protein70 (HSP70) synthesis under both normal conditions (39 degrees C; 0 and 6h) and after heat shock (43 degrees C; 1, 4 and 6h). The expression of HSP70 in oocytes was detected by immunoblotting analysis. Growing oocytes measuring 80-99 microm synthesized a high number of HSP70 without heat shock effect, and these were capable of increasing the synthesis of HSP70 after heat shock to a maximum after 1h. Growing oocytes measuring 100-115 microm also synthesized HSP70 without heat shock and after it, but the HSP70 synthesis was not statistically changed by increasing duration of heat shock. In fully-grown oocytes, great amounts of HSP70 were found without heat shock treatment, and the contents of HSP70 significantly decreased after heat shock. These results indicate that growing oocytes are able to synthesize HSP70 after heat shock. This ability declines at the end of the growth period, and fully-grown oocytes are unable to induce HSP70 synthesis after heat shock. HSP70 is synthesized and stored during oocyte growth. The high HSP70 synthesis in non-heat-treated growing oocytes and a great amount of HSP70 in fully-grown oocytes support the hypothesis that HSP70 is important for oocyte growth and maturation.     

作物花粉高温应答机制研究进展

随着全球气候变暖加剧, 农作物面临更加严峻的高温威胁。高温胁迫影响作物生长发育各个阶段, 其中花粉发育过程对高温胁迫最为敏感, 因此花粉高温应答机制成为当前植物学研究热点。研究表明, 花粉可以通过质膜上的钙离子通道、内质网中的未折叠蛋白反应、活性氧积累以及H2A.Z等机制感知高温胁迫, 并通过调控热激蛋白表达、糖代谢、激素水平及活性氧清除能力适应高温胁迫。该文从高温对花粉发育的影响、花粉高温胁迫应答机制以及花粉高温胁迫研究的实验设计等方面进行综述, 旨在为相关研究提供借鉴。     

Enhancement of Reproductive Heat Tolerance in Plants

Comparison of average crop yields with reported record yields has shown that major crops exhibit annual average yields three- to seven-fold lower than record yields because of unfavorable environments. The current study investigated the enhancement of pollen heat tolerance through expressing an Arabidopsis thaliana heat shock protein 101 (AtHSP101) that is not normally expressed in pollen but reported to play a crucial role in vegetative thermotolerance. The AtHSP101 construct under the control of the constitutive ocs/mas ‘superpromoter’ was transformed into cotton Coker 312 and tobacco SRI lines via Agrobacterium mediated transformation. Thermotolerance of pollen was evaluated by in vitro pollen germination studies. Comparing with those of wild type and transgenic null lines, pollen from AtHSP101 transgenic tobacco and cotton lines exhibited significantly higher germination rate and much greater pollen tube elongation under elevated temperatures or after a heat exposure. In addition, significant increases in boll set and seed numbers were also observed in transgenic cotton lines exposed to elevated day and night temperatures in both greenhouse and field studies. The results of this study suggest that enhancing heat tolerance of reproductive tissues in plant holds promise in the development of crops with improved yield production and yield sustainability in unfavorable environments.     

多种被子植物花粉生殖细胞大量分离技术的比较研究

从11种植物的成熟花粉粒中分离出大量生活的生殖细胞。比较了四种分离方法(一步渗透压冲击法、二步渗透压冲击法、低酶法和花粉原生质体释放法)在不同植物中的效果。归纳出三类植物适于采用三种分离方法。研究了影响分离效果的若干重要因素。对5种植物的分离生殖细胞进行了纯化。经鉴定,纯化的细胞群体中80%以上的细胞是生活的。