Development of the pollen grain and tapetum of wheat (Triticum aestivum) in untreated plants and plants treated with chemical hybridizing agent RH0007

Summary A study of pollen development in wheat was made using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Microspores contain undifferentiated plastids and mitochondria that are dividing. Vacuolation occurs, probably due to the coalescence of small vacuoles budded off the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). As the pollen grain is formed and matures, the ER becomes distended with deposits of granular storage material. Mitochondria proliferate and become filled with cristae. Similarly, plastids divide and accumulate starch. The exine wall is deposited at a rapid rate throughout development, and the precursors appear to be synthesized in the tapetum. Tapetal cells become binucleate during the meiosis stage, and Ubisch bodies form on the plasma membrane surface that faces the locule. Tapetal plastids become surrounded by an electron-translucent halo. Rough ER is associated with the halo around the plastids and with the plasma membrane. We hypothesize that the sporopollenin precursors for both the Ubisch bodies and exine pollen wall are synthesized in the tapetal plastids and are transported to the tapetal cell surface via the ER. The microspore plastids appear to be involved in activities other than precursor synthesis: plastid proliferation in young microspores, and starch synthesis later in development. Plants treated with the chemical hybridizing agent RH0007 show a pattern of development similar to that shown by untreated control plants through the meiosis stage. In the young microspore stage the exine wall is deposited irregularly and is thinner than that of control plants. In many cases the microspores are seen to have wavy contours. With the onset of vacuolation, microspores become plasmolyzed and abort. The tapetal cells in RH0007-treated locules divide normally through the meiosis stage. Less sporopollenin is deposited in the Ubisch bodies, and the pattern is less regular than that of the control. In many cases, the tapetal cells expand into the locule. At the base of one of the locules treated with a dosage of RH0007 that causes 95% male sterility, several microspores survived and developed into pollen grains that were sterile. The conditions at the base of the locule may have reduced the osmotic stress on the microspores, allowing them to survive. Preliminary work showed that the extractable quantity of carotenoids in RHOOO7-treated anthers was slightly greater than in controls. We concluded that RH0007 appears to interfere with the polymerization of carotenoid precursors into the exine wall and Ubisch bodies, rather than interfering with the synthesis of the precursors.     

桂林甑皮岩洞穴遗址第四纪孢粉分析

本文对桂林甑皮岩洞穴古人类遗址的文化层堆积物和钙华板系统采样进行孢粉分析研究,分析了当时的植被演替和气候变化、古人类的生活环境以及文化层和钙华板形成的地质时代。     

A two thousand year history of a northern Swedish boreal forest stand

Abstract. Successional processes within northern Swedish boreal forest are investigated for the last 2000 years by analysis of pollen, charcoal fragments and insect remains preserved in a deep mor humus layer on a small island in a large lake. Frequent disturbances by fire, blow-down, insect attack and flood have been the chief influence on vegetation dynamics. The gradual climatically induced replacement of Betula pubescens by Picea abies is superimposed on the disturbance dynamics. Picea first became established during the Little Ice Age, which was the longest period without fire in the record. A thin layer of volcanic ash from Iceland confirms the chronology at the onset of the Little Ice Age. The present importance of Pinus sylvestris and Ericaceae on the island is a product of a recent increase in disturbance frequency. The disturbance regime ensures that the communities stay in equilibrium with prevailing climate.     

European post-glacial forests: compositional changes in response to climatic change

Abstract. Multivariate analysis of an extensive palyno-logical database for Europe has enabled reconstruction of broad-scale vegetation history. Whereas many major features of present vegetation patterns were established early in the Holocene, floristic composition of the forests has changed continuously up to the present day. For example, although ‘mixed deciduous forests’ had reached approximately their present extent in northwest Europe by 8000 B.P., Tilia peaked in abundance in these forests during the middle post glacial, whereas Pinus was most abundant in these forests during the early post-glacial and Fagus increased in abundance only in recent millennia. Pollen-climate response surfaces for major pollen taxa show how their distribution and abundance patterns relate to contemporary climate. Past forest-compositional changes were responses to climatic changes, the nature of which can be inferred from pollen-climate response surfaces. Post-glacial climate changes have been different in magnitude and direction in different regions of Europe. For example, in recent millennia the vegetation changes indicate decreasing summer temperatures in northern Europe but increasing summer temperatures in the Mediterranean region. The way in which vegetation responded to past climatic changes gives insight into the likely response of vegetation to future climate changes induced by the ‘greenhouse effect’.     

The results of 2-year pollen monitoring of an urban network in Perugia,Central Italy

Continuous pollen monitoring of an urban network consisting of three stations has been undertaken for a period of 2 years in Perugia, central Italy. The aim has been to establish whether the Perugia pollen trap, active since 1983, is still representative of the area following recent urbanisation. Quantitative differences were found between the stations, reflecting different vegetational areas, but only slight differences were detected in relation to the timing of the principal period of pollination. Therefore, although individual pollen traps are necessary to characterize fully the different areas, one trap is sufficient to determine the key allergenic thresholds in the studied area.     

A brief method for analyzing Rotorod® samples for pollen content

Analyzing Rotorod^® pollen samples can be time consuming when one uses the standard method of evaluating an entire collector rod. This present investigation explored an abbreviated analysis method which is indicated by Poisson statistical theory. The authors systematically analyzed 18 Rotorod pollen samples from Spring 1994 which contained 408–7394 pollen grains per rod. The atmospheric pollen concentration (pollen grains/m³) was calculated from the number of pollen grains contained on the entire rod surface (P_total) and a sub-area containing at least 400 grains (P_>400). The estimate of the atmospheric pollen concentration resulting from P_total and P_>400 for each rod did not vary by more than ±9% (mean, 2.0%±3.7). These data indicate that pollen grains populated the sample rods rather uniformly, suggesting a mode of random recovery from the atmosphere. This study's results are consistent with the expectations concerning a Poisson process and support analyzing collector rods until a threshold number of pollen grains is counted.     

The results of 2-year pollen monitoring of an urban network in Perugia,Central Italy

Continuous pollen monitoring of an urban network consisting of three stations has been undertaken for a period of 2 years in Perugia, central Italy. The aim has been to establish whether the Perugia pollen trap, active since 1983, is still representative of the area following recent urbanisation. Quantitative differences were found between the stations, reflecting different vegetational areas, but only slight differences were detected in relation to the timing of the principal period of pollination. Therefore, although individual pollen traps are necessary to characterize fully the different areas, one trap is sufficient to determine the key allergenic thresholds in the studied area.     

川百合花粉管的生殖细胞分裂过程中微管骨架的分布变化

应用透射电镜辅以免疫荧光定位技术研究了川百合 (Lilium davidii Duch.)花粉管中生殖细胞分裂过程中染色体动态和微管分布的关系。在生殖细胞分裂前和有丝分裂前期 ,电镜观察一直未见微管结构 ,但免疫荧光图象显示生殖细胞中有微管蛋白存在。直到分裂的前中期—中期 ,染色体出现 ,它们沿花粉管的长轴前后排列 ,横向的着丝点对相应地一对对地纵向排列。这时 ,生殖细胞中才出现大量微管 ,它们分布于细胞周质区和染色体之间 ,并跨越染色体的整个长度。前中期—中期开始时 ,只有 1～ 2对着丝点从横向转为纵向 ,微管垂直插入着丝点形成着丝点微管 ,而非前人用免疫荧光方法观察到的微管与着丝点侧向联接的图象。随着横向的着丝点对逐渐转变成纵向的过程 ,着丝点微管数量逐渐增多 ,但不形成典型的纺锤体。分裂后期 ,染色体交错分离 ,微管的分布与前中期—中期的基本相同。晚后期 ,染色体呈明显的两群 ,除极区和细胞中央区有微管残余外 ,大部分微管消失。通过染色体长度的测量 ,间接证明了分裂后期 B的存在。分裂末期的晚期 ,核膜形成后 ,在两精核之间的区域 ,微管数量开始增多。此区可能代表用免疫荧光所观察到的微管重叠区。细胞板出现后 ,微管消失