Diversification of seed arrangement induced by ovule rotation and septum formation in Leguminosae

The plants of Leguminosae, which comprises 731 genera, bear monocarpellary flowers. The fruit, known as a pod, generally contains a row of seeds, and the internal structure appears to be simple. In Leguminosae, the seeds are generally arranged longitudinally along the suture of the pod but, in a few genera, namely, Cassia, Indigofera, and Senna, they are arranged transversely. Transverse seed arrangement facilitates the accommodation of a considerable number of seeds and has been considered to be established by rotation of seeds during development. We studied the development both these patterns of seed arrangement, i.e., longitudinal and transverse, in Senna and Indigofera in order to elucidate the structural changes occurring in ovaries (or pods) and determine the forces responsible for rotation of ovules (or seeds) by dissecting ovaries and pods at different developmental stages. Our results showed that at an early developmental stage the ovules were obliquely oriented or transversely arranged; later, the direction of their growth was restricted by the ovary walls or neighboring ovules, and therefore the obliquely oriented ovules rotated inward or outward. Thus, it was clarified that the processes involved in the formation of the internal structure of pods are regulated in a complex manner. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

云南鸡脚连(小檗科)的变异式样

小檗属鸡脚连(Berberis paraspecta Ahrendt)自1961 年发表以来,已有分类学文献对该种的描述一直模糊不清。通过在云南省玉龙县玉龙雪山野外调查与居群取样,结合模式标本核查,对鸡脚连重要分类学性状特征进行了补充和订正。鸡脚连果实1~5 个簇生,平均为(2.23±1.18)个;幼果或子房内胚珠1~3 个,平均为(2.07±0.29)个;成熟果实紫黑色,无粉霜,种子1~3 个,平均为(1.77±0.44)个。研究结果表明,有关文献关于鸡脚连果实单生,且仅含1 粒种子等关键的特征描述,在鸡脚连野生居群及模式标本上都不存在, 同时分析了鸡脚连果实、种子及胚珠数目、叶片及叶刺等分类学性状特征的变异系数,并补充了活植物及模式标本的图片资料。     

Ovules and seeds in Acalyphoideae (Euphorbiaceae): structure and systematic implications

Acalyphoideae, the largest subfamily of Euphorbiaceae, are investigated with respect to ovule and seed structure on the basis of 172 species of 80 genera in all 20 tribes of Acalyphoideae sensu Webster. All species of Acalyphoideae examined have bitegmic ovules with a non-vascularized inner integument. However, noticeable differences exist among and sometimes within the genera in the thickness of the inner and outer integument, the presence or absence of vascular bundles in the outer integument, whether ovules are pachychalazal or not, the presence or absence of an aril, seed coat structure (in terms of the best-developed mechanical cell-layer), and the shape of cells constituting the exotegmen. For the latter two characters, two different types of seed coat (i.e., "exotegmic" and "exotestal") and three different types of exotegmic cell (i.e., palisadal, tracheoidal and ribbon-like) were distinguished. Comparisons showed that three tribes Clutieae, Chaetocarpeae and Pereae are distinct from the other Acalyphoideae as well as from the other Euphorbiaceae in having an exotestal seed coat with a tracheoidal exotegmen. The tribe Dicoelieae is also distinct from the other Acalyphoideae in having an exotegmic seed that is composed of ribbon-like cells of exotegmen (i.e., cells both longitudinally and radially elongated, sclerotic and pitted). The tribe Galearieae, which should be treated as a distinct family Pandaceae, is also distinct from the other Acalyphoideae in having an exotegmic seed with a tracheoidal exotegmen (i.e., cells longitudinally elongated, sclerotic and pitted). The remaining genera of Acalyphoideae always have an exotegmic seed with a palisadal exotegmen (i.e., cells radially elongated, sclerotic and pitted). The shared palisadal exotegmen supports the close affinity of Acalyphoideae (excluding five tribes) with Crotonoideae and Euphorbioideae. Within the remaining genera of Acalyphoideae, a significant diversity is found in ovule and seed morphology with respect to the thickness of the inner and outer integument, the size of chalaza, vascularization of an outer integument and an aril.     

Expression of proteinase inhibitor II proteins during floral development in<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Solanum americanum</Emphasis>

The heterologous expression of serine proteinase inhibitor II (PIN2) proteins confers insect resistance in transgenic plants, but little is known of their endogenous roles. We have cloned two cDNAs encoding Solanum americanum PIN2 proteins, SaPIN2a and SaPIN2b. SaPIN2a is highly expressed in stem, particularly in the phloem, suggesting it could possibly regulate proteolysis in the sieve elements. When SaPIN2a was expressed in transgenic lettuce, we observed an inhibition of endogenous trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like activities. Here, we demonstrate that both SaPIN2a and SaPIN2b are expressed in floral tissues that are destined to undergo developmental programmed cell death (PCD), suggesting possible endogenous roles in inhibiting trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like activities during flower development. Northern and western blot analyses revealed that SaPIN2a and SaPIN2b mRNAs and proteins show highest expression early in floral development. In situ hybridization analysis and immunolocalization on floral sections, localized SaPIN2a and SaPIN2b mRNAs and their proteins to tissues that would apparently undergo PCD: the ovules, the stylar transmitting tissue, the stigma and the vascular bundles. Detection of PCD in floral sections was achieved using terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) analysis. Examination of the mid-style before, and 1 day after, pollination revealed that high expression of SaPIN2a and SaPIN2b in the style was inversely correlated with PCD.Abbreviations PCD Programmed cell death - PIN2 Serine proteinase inhibitor II - SaPIN2a Solanum americanum serine proteinase inhibitor IIa - SaPIN2b Solanum americanum serine proteinase inhibitor IIb - TdT Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase - TEM Transmission electron microscopy - TUNEL Terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling     

Sexual allocation in single-flowered hermaphroditic individuals in relation to plant and flower size

Gender expression in hermaphroditic plant species usually departs from strict equisexuality. Study of those departures can aid understanding of non hermaphroditic breeding systems and prevalence of hermaphroditism within angiosperms. Plant size is one of the most studied factors in relation to gender modification. We studied variation in gender expression in the hermaphroditic, mostly single-flowered Paeonia cambessedesii. We separately studied gender modification with increasing plant and flower size using a variety of currencies: number of ovules and stamens, dry mass, N and P. Flower size and number of floral structures (petals, stamens, carpels, and ovules) increased with plant size. Number of ovules increased more rapidly with increasing plant size than number of stamens, indicating a bias towards femaleness with increasing plant size. A similar pattern was found when regressing number of stamens and number of seeds against plant size. Number of floral structures increased with increasing flower mass, but no significant difference was found between stamens and ovules in their rate of increase. Thus, gender modification at plant level was not consistent with patterns at flower level. No differential allocation to stamens vs gynoecium, or sexual structures vs petals was found when using dry mass, N or P as currencies. However, a disproportionate increase in female allocation was found when number of structures was utilised as currency. Study of size-dependent gender expression will benefit from contrast of results obtained using several analysis levels and allocation currencies.     

In vitro induction of haploid plants from unpollinated ovules and ovaries of the sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.)

Summary Haploid plantlets from male fertile and male sterile sugarbeet plants could be induced at frequencies up to 2.2% using ovule culture. Ovary culture on media without charcoal resulted in a similar induction frequency. Plant development was inhibited by callus development originating from the mother tissue. When the callus parts were removed and the ovule transferred to a new medium without 2,4 D, callus formation could be inhibited by adding 0.5% charcoal to the medium. Up to 6.1% haploids were induced. Chromosome counts in leaf tips, chloroplast counts and isozyme patterns revealed that all plants were haploid and originated from the haploid cells of the embryo sac. Root tips showed spontaneous polyploidisation.     

Chronology of the differentiation of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) fiber cells

Cotton fibers are single elongated cells that develop from epidermal cells of the ovule. The chronology of fiber differentiation was investigated using cultured ovules. Epidermal cells differentiate into fiber cells approx. 3 d before anthesis. When ovules were cultured on a defined medium, fiber growth could be initiated on ovules any time between 2 d preanthesis and the time of anthesis by adding indole-3-acetic acid and gibberellic acid to the medium. In the absence of phytohormones, fibers did not grow, and when ovules between 2 d preanthesis and anthesis were cultured without hormones past the day of anthesis and hormones then added, most ovules failed to produce fibers. The results define the timing of fiber differentiation from epidermal cells, and also define a window of time when differentiated cells are capable of further development. During this window, fiber cells are latent awaiting appropriate stimulation which in the intact plant is apparently associated with anthesis.Abbreviations GA₃ gibberellic acid - IAA indole-3-acetic acid     

Ovular development and morphology in some magnoliaceae species

Floral phenology and ovular development ofLiriodendron tulipifera are described. The ovule primordia are initiated in December, followed by prominent development in March, and the ovules are mature in May. The inner integument is formed as an annular rim on the incurving ovule primordia, but the outer integument develops as a semi-annular rim interrupted on the concave side of the funicle. Later, an outgrowth, which is interpreted here as an obturator, arises on the concave side of the funicle. The funicular outgrowth arises far from the inner integument, while the outer integument is close to the inner. The outer integument and the funicular outgrowth together form an envelope complex. Later the outer integument produces two distal lobes, which disappear at maturity. Mature ovules of the threeMagnolia species examined have similar lobes. It is suggested that the hood-shaped outer integument is primitive in angiosperms.     

胚珠发育的分子基础

胚珠作为胚囊的携带者,在植物的生殖过程中起重要作用。胚珠是种子的前身,它在受精后发育成种子。近年来通过诱变已创造出一些胚珠和胚囊发育异常的突变体,如ｓｉｎ１,ｂｅｌ,ｏｖｍ２,ｏｖｍ３。这几个突变体的表现型不但是珠被发育异常,而且胚囊不能形成或发育异常,最终结果是雌性不育。同时,已分别从蝶兰和矮牵牛的胚珠中分离出一批胚珠发育特异的基因,其中有关ＭＡＤＳＢｏｘ基因在胚珠形成和发育中的作用研究得比较清楚,基因转化工作证实胚珠的分化和形成受一类新的ＭＡＤＳＢｏｘ基因控制。