Exine development: the importance of looking through a colloid chemistry ``window'

Most biological construction systems operate within the colloidal dimension. In view of this, it seems reasonable to reassess what is known of the early stages of exine development in the light of a brief excursion into colloid and micelle behaviour. The results of this analysis show remarkable similarity of structures and suggest that almost all of the features seen during early pollen wall development can be easily interpreted using simple, established colloidal principles. This study of exine framework and endexine development offers the possibility that growth of the early exine progresses by successive transitory mesophases of a constrained micellar system. The self-assembling micelle mesophases will all be clearly recognized as constituents of the developing exine. They include spherical, cylindrical, continuous layers of hexagonally-packed cylindrical units and lamellar mesophases which most probably correspond to future granules, columellae, complex columellar (and alveolar) microarchitecture and ``white-line-centred' lamellae. Furthermore, the various types of micelle involved have the potential to perform the functions previously loosely assigned to the exine.     

A contribution to the ultrastructural knowledge of the pollen exine in subtribe Inulinae (Inuleae, Asteraceae)

To better understand the relationships within the Asteroideae and Inuleae, the structure of the pollen exine was investigated in seven genera and nine species of the subtribe Inulinae using LM, TEM and SEM. All taxa have a senecioid pattern of exine. The tectal complex consists of three main layers that differ in thickness and morphology: a tectum, a columellar layer, and a layer consisting of the basal region of the columellae. The absence or the vestigial condition of the foramina is considered as a plesiomorphy within the Asteroideae. All taxa have a complex apertural system that consists of an ecto-, a meso-, and an endoaperture. These apertures intersect respectively the tectal complex, the foot layer and the upper part of the endexine, and the inner layer of the endexine. A continuous transition among the different species of Inulinae was found for all the quantitative characters examined. This relative homogeneity of the pollen morphological characters enhances the naturality of the subtribe Inulinae.     

Nutlet micromorphology of Iranian Nepeta (Lamiaceae) species

To evaluate nutlets characteristics for systematic relationships, a comprehensive morphological and micro‐morphological study of the nutlets of 16 Iranian taxa of Nepeta (Lamiaceae) was conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Differences in surface ornamentation, size, shape and color were observed between the species. The studied taxa were categorized in two basic types based on surface ornamentation: non‐sculptured (smooth‐type) and sculptured nutlets. The non‐sculptured nutlets type could be further divided into four sub‐types, including smooth, granulate, undulate‐cellular and reticulate. In the sculptured nutlets, three subtypes of tuberculate, tuberculate‐cellular and verrucate were recognized. The shape of nutlets were described as oblong, ovoid‐oblong, oblong‐linear, to elliptic‐oblong and their size range are 1.2–2.0 mm in length and 0.5–2.0 mm in width. Based on micrographs, the areole form and location were defined as bi‐lobed, straight, basal, sub‐basal or lateral. Nutlet micromorphological characteristics such as surface ornamentation can be useful for classification and identification of e.g. medicinal species of Nepeta in Iran.     

莼菜绒毡层细胞中核糖体的解体与花粉外壁蛋白的形成研究

莼菜（Ｂｒａｓｅｎｉａ ｓｃｈｒｅｂｅｒｉ Ｇｍｅｌ）的绒毡层属腺质绒毡层。四分体时期是绒毡层细胞发育的高峰期,大量膨胀的内质网互相连接,在切面网格构布满细胞,用三维空间结构分析,内质网从多的小室,每个小室中充满核糖体。四分体发育后期,内质网小室中的核糖体开始解体,形成高电子密度的球形体,内质网消失后,从金钱求证菜体游离于细胞基质中。花粉单核期,球形体通过质膜进入花粉囊。在花粉外壁形成 ,球形体不     

A Comparative study on pollen exine ultrastructure of Nothofagus and the other genera of Fagaceae

The genus Nothofagus is mainly distributed in South America and New Zealand. The present paper describes its pollen exine ultrastructure and compares the exine ultrastructure with that of the other genera of Fagaceae. The pollen grains were examined using ultrathin sectioning technique under transmission electron microscope. The study shows that the pollen exine ultrastructure of Nothofagus differs from that of the other genera of Fagaceae by its exine structure and thickness, type of aperture, and ornamentation. The pollen exine of Nothofagus is thin and possesses granular bacules, regular foot layer and tectum, spinulate ornamentation, and the endexine is usually visible at poral area, and 5～8 colpate. The pollen exine of the other genera of Fagaceae possesses entire bacules, irregular foot layer and tectum, granulate and tuberculate ornamentation, thicker endexine, and is 3-colporate ( 3-colpate or 3-colporoidate). The pollen exine ultrastructure of Nothofagus may belong to primitive type. The pollen exine ultrastructure data support Kuprianova’s opinion that Nothofagus should be separated from Fagaceae and established as a monogenetic family, i.e. Nothofa-gaceae.     

论克拉梭粉外壁的超微结构:西伯利亚侏罗纪的一个孢体

通过对西西伯利亚西南部某钻孔中侏罗统上部(Callovian,Tyumen组)所获得的一个Classopollis的四孢体光学显微镜和切片的透射电镜观察研究后认识到,Classopollis的外壁超微结构与它复杂的外部形态一致。外壁由几层组成：上部均质层,具不平的外、内表面,中间均质层,穴状层和下部均质层。在它们之间的柱状体和穴在赤道区更明显。这种结构与光学显微镜下所见的条纹圈相当。环沟(亚赤道沟)是由柱状区和远极面之间的外壁突然变薄形成的。近极区的穴较之赤道区的要小且形状较不规则。外壁远极面较近极面为簿。远极面隐孔区无穴。比较表明此种花粉与掌鳞杉科花粉形态相似。     

Rice CYP703A3, a cytochrome P450 hydroxylase,is essential for development of anther cuticle and pollen exine

Anther cuticle and pollen exine act as protective envelopes for the male gametophyte or pollen grain, but the mechanism underlying the synthesis of these lipidic polymers remains unclear. Previously, a tapetum-expressed CYP703A3, a putative cytochrome P450 fatty acid hydroxylase, was shown to be essential for male fertility in rice (Oryza sativa L.). However, the biochemical and biological roles of CYP703A3 has not been characterized. Here, we observed that cyp703a3-2 caused by one base insertion in CYP703A3 displays defective pollen exine and anther epicuticular layer, which differs from Arabidopsis cyp703a2 in which only defective pollen exine occurs. Consistently, chemical composition assay showed that levels of cutin monomers and wax components were dramatically reduced in cyp703a3-2 anthers. Unlike the wide range of substrates of Arabidopsis CYP703A2, CYP703A3 functions as an in-chain hydroxylase only for a specific substrate, lauric acid, preferably generating 7-hydroxylated lauric acid. Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation and expression analyses revealed that the expression of CYP703A3 is directly regulated by Tapetum Degeneration Retardation, a known regulator of tapetum PCD and pollen exine formation. Collectively, our results suggest that CYP703A3 represents a conserved and diversified biochemical pathway for in-chain hydroxylation of lauric acid required for the development of male organ in higher plants.     

皖南山区肖坑林场秋季植物花粉形态特征分析

应用光学显微镜和扫描电子显微镜对皖南山区肖坑林场10月开花的26科41属42种2变种的花粉形态特征进行了观察和描述.44种植物包含草本植物38种、木本植物6种,其中菊科(Compositae)植物有11种.花粉类型以萌发孔为3孔沟为主,占52.3％;还包含单沟、3沟、多沟、散沟、3孔和多孔等类型.外壁纹饰以细网状和具刺(包括刺状、微刺状、条纹-微刺状、微刺-穿孔状、长刺状和刺突状)为主,分别占27.3％和47.7％;还有粗网状、颗粒状、棒状和条纹状纹饰等.对这些种类花粉形态特征的观察和描述可为第四纪地层花粉研究提供基础资料,也可作为中低山暖湿气候环境的代用指标.     

10种金花茶组植物的花粉形态及分类学意义

金花茶组(Sect.Chrysantha)植物具有很高的观赏价值,但其分类存在争议.为探讨金花茶组植物花粉的形态特征和分类学意义,该研究用扫描电镜观察了10种金花茶的花粉形状、外壁纹饰以及穿孔特征,统计了极轴长、赤道轴长和萌发沟长,并进行聚类分析.结果表明:(1)10种供试金花茶植物花粉为中粒花粉,大部分花粉形状呈近球...     

食蚜蝇科卵壳超微形态初探

本文应用扫描电镜研究了24种食蚜蝇(双翅目,食蚜蝇科)卵壳的超微形态.描述了所研究种类卵的形态并编列了检索表.研究结果表明卵的受精孔形态是和卵壳花纹同等重要的分类特征.文中讨论了受精孔形态和卵表花纹在食蚜蝇卵分类中的重要性以及造成卵壳背、腹面花纹差异的原因.